Code BLACK
by TheElementist
Summary: -UPDATING-Follow the tale of Lelouch, the scourge within the Britannia Family, and witness him become the Dark One. Semi AU; OCs; Lelouch centric; Very dark with Action, Angst, & Romance. LelouchxHarem. Rated M. (Read A/N for more info.)
1. Chapter 1: CG Arc: Sudden Departure

**Code BLACK**

* * *

****UPDATING-Timeline will be off**

* * *

Welcome to my first ever fic.

This will be semi AU but won't deviate that much from the canon.

**But be warned for I will change the many facts of Britannia.** One prominent example is that **I will exclude the power of geass**. That's right. I am THE GOD OF THIS FAN-FICTION; THE CREATER OF yada yada yada yaa…. Don't get me wrong I love this show but I think geass gave the creators an easy way out in some situations. I didn't like that. I will introduce my own power and hopefully try to present the same excitement as the canon had with geass.

**I will also axe some characters but I will let you guys have a say on that.**

I will include my OCs and no you can't have a say in that, sheesh.

**This fiction will contain several crossovers** and some are: Darker than Black, (possibly) Evangelion, (maybe) Naruto, etc. I will let you know which is coming up.

This will be **rated M** due to the possible inclusion of **L*mons** and other **TABOOS** so you've be warned. Again this is a Harem so everyone is fair game.

Last I like to thank SeerKing for his work on _Code Geass: The Prepared Rebellion V2_, Draconichero21 for his work on_ Code Geass: Cornelia of the Defection_, and Cal reflector on _Lelouch of Britannia_. Their work influenced me.

Before I forget: **I do not own Code Geass.**

"Talking"

_"Thoughts"_

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Chapter 1:** SUDDEN DEPATURE**

**October 31st 2009, Around 10pm**

"What on Earth…"

Lelouch vi Britannia gawked at the scene before him.

His widened eyes couldn't believe it.

His mother's mansion…..Marianne vi Britannia's mansion was being consumed by a torrent of flames and rescuers were battling to save it.

/

But where was the owner?

/

"Mother! Where is she?"

He frantically scanned the crowd around the site.

But the owner of the villa wasn't among them.

/

His heart dropped.

His eyes quivered as he breathed heavily. Panic had taken over.

/

Trying not to think about the worst, his mind instead evoked his most recent memory involving his mother.

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**Flashback: Around Noon**

"Damn it, I overslept." Lelouch hissed as he packed some Halloween festive items into his backpack.

/

"Lelouch, shouldn't you at least eat something before you go?" Marianne asked.

She watched with concern as her son rummaged through his belongings for grotesque looking attires.

"Why are you even rushing? What are you guys even doing?" She was intrigue at the cause of her son's dilemma.

/

"Euphie wants to try and have a Halloween sleepover or a bash or a party….I don't even know, but I have a feeling that _Clovis_ had a hand in this." He paused to frown at the mess the third prince of Britannia had orchestrated.

"Anyway, June and I were supposed to be there this morning with our costumes and other stuffs."

Realizing that time wasn't on his side, he resumed his desperate search for a few more items. A mountain of mess was slowly growing on his bed.

/

"Why do you have to be there so early?"

/

"Apparently I have no fashion sense," He air quoted 'fashion sense,' "so I have to come early so she can assess my attire." He sighed at his unfortunate misery.

/

"Ahhh...I see." Although expressing a sympathetic look for her son, she understood Euphemia's point. Lelouch was not one to focus so much on fashion.

/

"And Damn it. That June left without me. Can you believe it? We were suppose….." Lelouch continued his rant about his older sister.

/

At the mentioning of her daughter's name, Marianne recalled the morning when June was debating whether to wake a tired looking Lelouch up or allow him some much deserving sleep. Ultimately she chose the latter after Marianne, herself, offered her opinion.

"Mom? Are you even listening to me?"

"Huh! Oh yeah, yeah, I'm listening. Something about June not waking you up, right?" She sheepishly grinned at her son who stared at her with his deadpan eyes.

/

"Anyway I won't be back till tomorrow probably." He revealed.

"Well stay safe and say hi to Lady Olivia for me." She was about to leave but paused to deliver a final message. "Oh and check on those two for me will ya."

"I will."

**Flashback Ends**

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* * *

"_Don't tell me she is still in there!"_ Lelouch gravely summarized after unable to locate his mother among the mass.

He rushed towards scene. Whether he was planning to enter the blazing villa or not, it didn't matter since he was halted by a rescuer.

"Your highness!" The prince turned around to face the one who grabbed him.

"It is unsafe for you to be here." The fireman offered his advice to the prince in the hopes of avoiding the need to restrain the nine year old.

Lelouch sensed that he wasn't going to be allowed any further advancement, so he yielded and returned his gaze back to the scorching villa. He was close enough to feel the heat radiating from it. _"Can anyone survive this?" _He shook his head to reject his doubt.

This guy might know something.

"Mother...where is the Empress? Is she safe?" The prince questioned the rescuer; almost hoping that he would assure him with the news of his mother's safety. The fireman however stood silently. He was trying to offer a response but instead couldn't; as if he had choked on his words. He surrendered and expressed a grave look. This didn't sit well with Lelouch.

"SHE IS STILL IN THERE?" He yelled, attracting other firemen and some Royal Guards to his location.

/

"Your highness." Now it was a Royal Guard's turn to placate the kid. "Your highness, this is an active scene. It is very dangerous for you to be here."

"Mother? Where is she?"

The guardsman, like everyone one on the scene, knew that Marianne was very likely, no extremely likely trapped in there, especially after reports had indicated that she hadn't been spotted anywhere else. By the time the first responders were on the scene, the fire had rendered the chance of an early search and rescue effort. The flames had blocked the main entrances and were spreading at a fast rate. Entrance through the upper floors windows was ruled out due to the presence of fire on those very floors and the risk of structural failure. All in all, it seemed that they arrived on the scene too late to alter things. Why they weren't notified earlier was a mystery.

But perhaps another bizarre twist was the absence of the Royal Guards assigned to the Empress. Efforts to establish contacts turned up nothing. Either they were still trapped in there or worse had a hand in this ongoing mess.

/

The guardsman returned his thoughts to the Empress' son. His question still lingered in his mind. He looked up to his companions for assistance but they all had a look of either _"Don't look at me!"_ or _"You got this."_

"_Jerks." _He faced Lelouch. "Your highness, we don't know the condition of your mother but we will continue to fight the flames so rest assure. We will save her." He lied. Almost everyone on the scene knew the chances of survival for any trapped soul were abysmal.

Surprisingly, Lelouch knew this chance of survival too. He despaired just by watching the flames, which was rendering the Victorian mansion unrecognizable. He couldn't help but shed tears which broke everyone's spirit.

"_Uh curses. I said too much."_

/

The gathered adults, pondering on what to say to reassure the kid, snapped backed to reality when a loud call was registered by their ears.

"LELOUCH!" Cornelia yelled while she was sprinting to the scene with another figure trailing a bit behind.

"Princess Cornelia! Princess June!" All of them responded in unison along with salutations when the two reached the scene.

/

Gathering her breath, she awed the brilliant flames enveloping her prey. _"WOAH…." _

Cornelia returned her attention to her half-brother and the gathering around him. _"Phew! I'm glad he's fine. We were worried for second there after the reports came in."_

But what about Lady Marianne….could she really not be located? A sad wince on her face. She prayed the reports the false.

"June! Take him away!" Cornelia then turned to men. "Give me a SITREP!" The fifteen year old princess was in her military commanding mode. She took control and started directing the men and equipment on the premise.

Lelouch and June were now watching the scene from a distant.

* * *

**Four Hours Later**

"How is he?" Cornelia asked the long black hair female who was resting against the side of a decorated rock in the front yard garden with her brother in her arms.

"Sleeping. Fell asleep 30 minutes ago while watching the scene." June cleared some bangs that were dangling over Lelouch's sleeping face.

June returned her attention to Cornelia. "So how was it? Was she among the...victims?" She stammered the last part.

Cornelia lowered her head. "I'm sorry June." She said no more.

/

After a long moment of silence, Cornelia commenced. "So how are you going to tell him and the others?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure. I'm still reeling from the whole thing." June looked at the scene, which was crowded with Royal Guards investigators. "I can't believe that mom could..." She gritted her teeth; whether out sadness or anger, Cornelia couldn't decipher, but she was equally in shock. Her idol, who was almost like a mother to her, had perished. She was struggling to keep herself compose but the shock was too great to be bundled within.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry June." Cornelia began to wipe the tears that had gushed out. Slightly embarrassed at her own weakness, Cornelia continued to apologize. "I'm sorry for acting this way but…." She couldn't help but weep more.

/

Baffled at first by Cornelia's vulnerability, June remembered that her half-sister adored her mother like her own.

A sad smile etched on her face from the memories involving her deceased mother. Rivulets of tears followed soon after.

* * *

**The Morning**

"Aaah!" Lelouch screamed out in wake. He began to pant heavily as he sat on the bed.

"Uggh, what was that?" Covering his right eye in distress with his right palm, he frowned at the comforter covering his lower body_. "That dream…why did I have a dream about mom's villa burning? And it was very realistic...too realistic. WAIT!"_

"Why am I in Cornelia's room?" He blurted out his thoughts at the sudden realization that this wasn't his normal sleeping chamber.

"_Is this Cornelia's room?" _He scanned the room till he noticed the mounted swords on the pink drywall along with portrait paintings of revered Britannian figures. "Yep, this is her room alright. But why I am here?"

Knitting his brows in deep concentration, he remembered how Halloween was yesterday and all of them had gathered at Euphie's place.

_"I must have slept in Cornelia's room but I don't…mm… quite remember what we did. Euphie was pestering me about some stuff I forgot back home, but did I go back home to get it?"_

/

"Huh! What's that?" Hiding behind a white window curtain and resting against the wall was a rectangular shaped object. The fact that it was draped in a brown cloth piqued his interest. Lifting the mysterious object, which resembled a picture frame, Lelouch unveiled it.

"…."

Lelouch gasped at the image on the frame. It was his mother. She was standing on the top left side of the Ganymede knightmare Frame with a sword raised by her right hand. Engraved at the bottom of the painting was "Marianne, the Flash."

Cornelia entered her room to find Lelouch's back facing her and his shoulders shuddering. And in his hands was the portrait of his mother.

"_Damn, he found it." _Before she could utter a word, the sounds of sobbing told her all she needed to know. She honored the moment and remained silent.

* * *

**November 7th 2009**

Lelouch dressed in black—a black suit with a black tie—was sitting quietly on a sofa in the sitting room at Olivia li Britannia's villa. He and his sister, June, along with Nunnally and Mika, had taken refuge at Euphie's place since the incident almost a week ago.

Currently he was looking at albums with portraits of his mother and their family. They were some of the things that had survived the flame.

While soaking in the frozen memories, he was also pondering about the investigation report Cornelia had briefed them about.

* * *

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**Flashback: 2 Days Ago**

"So you're saying that someone was able to defeat Marianne and then set the villa on fire?" No one answered Clovis' question.

They all couldn't believe it as well.

/

Clovis paced back and forth.

"Plus they also killed her servants? Those maids were killers, Cornelia." His nervous tone underlined the fear he felt beneath.

/

Cornelia sighed. "I know what happened seemed..." What's the word? "…..impossible."

She froze; gripping the Royal Guard's emblem on her chest.

"I knew those maids personally. Despite being servants to Lady Marianne, they were also some of the best fighters in the Royal Guard." She lowered her gaze and remembered the deadly killers who were also maids &amp; body guards to the Empress.

"Together, they could hold their own against anyone. Lady Marianne regularly trained them herself also. However they….." She didn't want to admit but….. "…they along with Lady Marianne were killed in what seemed like a battle."

/

Her statement did little to calm Clovis. "Who could've done this?" He retorted; still trembling in fear. The possibility of someone stronger than Marianne, the Flash, was just unimaginable.

/

"How…." A dark voiced cut through the room—an office in the Royal Guard Command building

All eyes turned to the little raven hair kid who sat at the corner.

"How was it possibly for this assassin to slip away? What were the Royal Guards doing?" His latter question was traced with anger.

"Uh..." Cornelia was lost in thought. She couldn't offer a response. She felt ashamed at the failures of the security that night. As one of the commanding officers in the Royal Guard, she felt somewhat liable for her death, despite being off duty that night.

"I'm sorry Lelouch." She muttered and lowered her gaze to the floor.

/

Lelouch wasn't done ripping her. "This is the Imperial District. This is supposed to be the most secure place in the country, yet….." He clenched his knee as he sat.

"We don't know who did it." June interjected. "We can't jump to conclusions on where they came from, right Cornelia?" She gave Cornelia a chance to redeem herself.

/

"Right..." She nodded towards the thirteen year old princess. "The investigation is still ongoing but for all we know, the culprit—or culprits—might be residents in the District."

"What?" Clovis howled and held himself back from biting his fingernails. "You're saying the person who did this is still here…here in the District? And there could be more of them." He was shivering.

"Don't worry Clovis. Security has been beefed up." Cornelia averted her gaze back to Lelouch. His somber expression dampened her mood even further.

"Lelouch" She whispered. He was alone in the corner….by himself in the dark…going through so much.

_"His mother was everything to him."_

She wanted to embrace him but couldn't bring herself to move; embarrassed perhaps? She pondered on what to say to ease his distress. _"I shouldn't have brought him. I knew he wouldn't be able to handle it."_

/

"What about the Emperor?" Lelouch's dead tone snapped everyone from their dull trance.

"What about him?" Cornelia queried, slightly worried. She knew the 'fatherly love' Lelouch had for his father, the Emperor, and how the Emperor equally displayed the same 'affection' towards him.

"_Man he hates him."_

/

"I meant has he said anything? _He hasn't even visited once since mother's death._" Lelouch kept the last part to himself; scowling just thinking about it.

Everyone noticed his livid expression.

/

"No he hasn't said anything about mother's death." June was the first to answer. "He already knows about it though."

"Tsk." He clicked his tongue; striking everyone with shock.

/

They needed to change topics; something that didn't involve father.

"Cornelia!" Schneizel interjected. "You have the autopsy report, right. Do you know how she died?"

_"What?" _Cornelia was stunned by his question. A very insensitive question in her mind; especially when Lelouch was in piss mood.

Her gawk look turned into a glare.

/

_"How could you ask such a question at a time like this?" _She beamed at Schneizel.

Schneizel shrugged his shoulders and beamed back with his trademark smile. _"Hey. He's the one who wanted to come to this meeting."_

She clenched her teeth and fists, almost as if she had actually heard his thoughts.

Schneizel sensed the spike in her anger levels so he switched his demeanor to a serious one. Avoiding her glare altogether, he gazed away at the ceiling and continued his thoughts.

_"Besides he was going to find out eventually. It might as well be now."_

Was Cornelia reading his mind, because his nonverbal responses were fueling her anger.

Cornelia wanted to have a word with him, outside; besides he was within arm's reach…..what's stopping her from snatching the second prince of Britannia.

/

Lelouch enjoyed the psychic battle between the two. Schneizel was in hot waters.

But intrigued by his question, he decided to save him from the seething Cornelia.

"So how did mother died?" He interrupted Cornelia.

_"You owe me one." _Lelouch smirked at his older half-brother.

_"I know. Thanks!" _Schneizel sighed in relief.

Cornelia was lured away from her prey by Lelouch's words. She completely lost interest in skinning Schneizel for a second and was slightly surprised. _"I guess if he wants to know…"_

/

"Ahem…." She cleared her throat and mind. "Well I'm not going to show the pictures or go into details out of respect." Everyone agreed. "But overall, it seems like a blunt force to the chest was the cause of death."

"Huh?" A confused reaction from Clovis.

"Her chest was crushed?" June probed; getting a nod from Cornelia.

"Besides this chest injury, she had other injuries which seemed to indicate she was in a confrontation. Those injuries were in the form of cuts and a couple stabs to the arms and thighs. All the servants had similar injuries but inflicted at different points. All these suggest the usage of some form of blade like weapons."

"For the chest injury, we don't know how it was inflicted since there were no residues on her body—no explosion residues or other foreign elemental residues." She cupped her chin.

"It was like a high pressurized wind blast but at the same time it wasn't."

"What do you mean?" June was lost by the last part.

"Well air is a very loose element and in order for an air manipulator to actually cause harm with a wind blast, they would have to borrow other elements. They could form a heat blast if there was a heat source or fire around. They could form an ice blast with the wind if there was water around or a dirt blast if there was earth or soil. In this case, our culprit didn't use any other element. But the damage inflicted to her chest resembles something a powerful wind blast would do."

"But that's impossible since wind alone can't cause that much damage." June countered.

"I know. That is why we are not entirely sure what or how the force was applied." Cornelia paused for a breather before she continued.

"The force fractured and broke multiple bones in her rib cage. Her breastbone also broke. There were severe bruises and cuts in her lungs. Her airways were also damage. All these factors might have made breathing very difficult and painful since ….."

/

By this time, Lelouch couldn't bear to hear any more details. He bowed his head and clenched his knees. He was trying his best not to shed tears. June, and to some extent Schneizel, noticed him struggling.

/

"….The heart will be compressed as the buildup of blood, gas, and other fluids will…"

"Cornelia!" Schneizel grunted, essentially telling her to stop. She understood why when her eyes caught the shivering Lelouch with his head bowed.

"I…" She tried to reach him again, extending her right hand, but couldn't move her legs. She gave up, lowered her head in dejection, and gritted her teeth. _"Fuck...I went overboard." _

**Flashback Ends**

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* * *

_"Whoever did this is very strong."_ Lelouch was back to reality.

/

Marianne was known, respected, and equally feared. Holding the title as one of the strongest fire manipulators in the realm, few or no one dared to cross path with her.

But now it seemed there was someone who took this chance and came out alive.

/

_"Besting mother was one thing, but to accomplish that and kill ten deadly Royal Guards servants while not causing a scene is beyond amazing."_ To top it off they left no traces. No weapons to trace back. No entrance points or exits points. Nothing…. It was like they were mocking them.

A fierce, raging fire burned within him from the thought of it. _"Whoever did this will..." _He rested his hostile thoughts and lounge his head against the sofa; keeping his gaze at the ceiling.

/

_"But Cornelia was right. It has the hallmark of an inside job, but who…..who had the motive? Who wanted to kill mom?"_ He closed his eyelids for rest.

/

_"That could be anyone."_ Although his mother was feared by all, she wasn't equally loved by all. Here in the Imperial District where nobles schemed and played the game for more power, your friend today could be your enemy tomorrow.

/

"A friend is just an enemy who hasn't attacked yet..." He chuckled from the quote he had picked from his pastime animated series—Penguins of Madagascar.

/

"Lelouch you can't sleep now. The service will start about an hour."

Lelouch tilted his head to gain a visual of the intruder.

"Didn't you get enough sleep?" June was slowly completing her descend down the curved stairs.

The third princess of Britannia was wearing a black poet high collar dress that extended well below the knees. In addition to her satin woven fabric dress that widen a bit past her knees, she was wearing a black cape collar coat that reached her hip line and black cocktail hat with a translucent black veil.

/

_"__He's looking at me too much. It's kinda embarrassing. Wait! What am I thinking?" _And almost on cue, Lelouch took his eyes off her and went back to staring at the ceiling.

"Don't worry. I got enough sleep."

"Uh...okay" She was snap back from her stupor.

/

She started fidgeting her fingers, thinking of a follow-up response or something. "Hey, do you want to play chess?"

"Why? Didn't you say you were terrible at chess?" A nonchalant response.

"Yeah I did but hey if I continue to play, I might get better. Besides it will allow you to pass time since you have nothing better to do." By now she stood in front of him, gaining his attention.

"…"

"…"

"Huh. I guess you're right." She smiled at his surrender.

"I'll go grab the board." With that Lelouch withdrew from the sitting room.

/

Moments later they were sitting down across from each other. Barely anytime had passed since the game had commenced and Lelouch was on his way to victory. _"Huuh! I guess I better slow down." _

He soaked in the image of his opponent who had cupped her chin and stared at the board in a serious frown. Her straight black bangs slightly obscured her ruby irises.

"Uh, what is it?" She caught the boy in his continuous stare.

"Your hair…"

"Huh?"

"Your hair is different than the usual long and straight."

"Do you like it? Do you like this braided bun?"

"Braided …what?"

"Bun. It's called a bun. Lady Olivia did it for me." And just like that she lost interest in the game. "She loves to do my hair. Cornelia never allows her to touch her hair and Euphie…well she doesn't sit still for a second."

"Huuh" His shoulders slumped in dejection. _"Well there goes the game."_

/

"What's this about Euphie? What are you guys saying about me?"

"Euphie! I was just telling Lelouch how much your mom….eh…loves to fix your hair." June beamed forcefully at the rose-pink hair girl.

"Ahh, okay?" A skeptical look as she joined them.

/

"By the way..." She ejected June out of her seat. "...speaking of hair, what do you think about my new hairdo, Lelouch?" She waited anxiously for his inputs.

"Hey, I was sitting there."

"SHH!"

"Ah, you did not just…"

"So Lelouch, do you like it?" Euphemia had entirely ignored the slightly irritated June and instead gestured towards her hot-pink hair. Her straight mane had transitioned into curls midway and the curls were then split at the back of her neck, completely exposing that area. The now split curls fell on her collarbones, resting on her chest.

"_I've never really paid attention to her hair. Wasn't it always curly and long?"_ Lelouch felt there was nothing 'new' about the ten year old's hairstyle so…."Umm, it's nice I guess."

"You guess?" Euphie's tone was traced with shock and indignation.

"Oohh, wrong answer." June felt apologetic for her brother since she was sensing the riled aura spewing from Euphemia.

"Huh?" Lelouch felt that something was off with the girl who had stooped her head and was trembling. "Uhh, Euphie, are you alrigh….."

"Lelouch! I spent all night trying to….and you…" Now Lelouch was even more perplexed. Euphie was _"crying?"_. Lelouch looked to June for assistance who stared at him with a disappointing look.

/

"Brother!" It seemed like his savior, not June, had arrived. Lelouch was glad for Nunnally's interruption since it caused Euphie to regain her composure.

"Hey brother, do you like my dress?" His savior demanded his input on her black gown dress that also had the same high collar like June's.

"_Huuuhh. Why is everyone so fixated on their appearance? Don't they realize we're going to a funeral not some ball? But just to be safe…"_ He put on a sincere smile and…"It looks nice on you, Nunnally."

/

"What about mine, Lelouch?" The sixth and last princess of the family came running down the hall to join the convention of siblings in the sitting room.

"Your dress fits you perfectly, Mikaleon." Lelouch was caressing her teal hair while he praised her.

"Lelouch, I said you should call me Mika." The five year old pouted and hopped onto his lap. She was the youngest in the Imperial Family so Nunnally and Euphie took no issue with Mika's clinging, but inside their heads…

"_Aw, I wish I can sit on his lap." _Nunnally couldn't hide her blush.

"_I wish it was my hair he was caressing. Then he would appreciate it more and will notice how soft and nice it feels. Heck he might even offer to help me fix it next time and then…." _Euphemia was now drooling from the hairy thoughts she was conjuring.

"_What the heck are those two thinking right now?" _June noticed the bizarre behavior of the two girls and how they were fixated on the boy who was oblivious to his surroundings and was conversing with the girl in his lap.

/

"Are you guys ready?" The stern voice of Cornelia drew everyone's attention to her.

She was wearing a long black wrap dress that reached her feet. It seemed that same fabric had wrapped around and tightened her waist. Her chest area was somewhat exposed but she had a long fur coat and was holding a fur scarf. Her wool floppy hat with a translucent veil gave her a mysterious aura.

/

Noticing the gawk expression from the occupants in the room, Cornelia unveiled her face and decided to have a little tease.

"So Lelouch, how do I look?"

"Wow." His involuntary response along with the continuous stare caused some reddish skin to appear on Cornelia's face. Around him however, a storm of ire was starting to churn.

"Eep!" Lelouch felt like he was being stabbed with angry piercing glares. _"Why are they so angry?"_

/

"Come on guys. We better start going." Cornelia intervened and Lelouch very much appreciated that.

"What about Lady Olivia?" June probed after her irked emotions against her brother had receded.

"Ah, she's still not done, so we're going ahead." Cornelia indifferently answered.

"Huuh." June sighed. _"Those two just don't get along."_

"Well stop standing there and let's go." With that the rest followed Cornelia who was already at the door, ready to leave.


	2. Chapter 2: CG Arc: Moving Forward

**A/N:**

Thanks a lot for the support in my previous or 1st Chapter. I really get inspired when I check my Stats and see the reviews.

I apologize for any grammatical errors in the previous chapter and possibly this one. English is not my first language.

* * *

**Spoiler: **I will use a word "manator;" Pronounced [muh-ney-ter]. Again this is related to that manipulator stuff.

**Spoiler:** A character from Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari is in this chapter.

Okay so that's it. Enjoy

**Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass.**

"Speak"

_"Thoughts"_

{Sounds}

* * *

Chapter 2:** MOVING FORWARD**

**November 7****th**** 2009**

The service was over. The earth had claimed her prize. All was done.

Yet the lone raven haired prince couldn't bring himself to leave. He beheld his mother's resting place. His eyes dried of tears.

/

His siblings long gone; left with most of the crowd.

June was one of the last to leave; forced to because of the drowsy Mika.

/

Now alone he stood, alone he mourned.

/

The heavens had shown mercy during the entire service but now it seemed like mercy had run its course. A thunderous growl from the skies startled him.

Now aware of the dark clouds sprawling itself above, he felt it was time for the final goodbyes.

_"It will rain very soon." _He gazed up ahead and the gloomy clouds alarmed him. He had to make it quick. He had no ride back home.

Before his eyes fell down, another sound caught his attention. A skein of geese.

/

Brave family of birds. They were surrounded. Angry stormy clouds everywhere around them, but they persevered. They flapped their wings in synchrony and covered their flanks as they flew their V formation. To them, it didn't matter that the clouds were roaring. They had a place to go, a place to be, a place to see, and nothing was going to prevent them.

/

Lelouch was inspired. Here he was; readying himself to leave. Why, because he didn't want to get wet. The skies were roaring.

_"Weak." _He belittled himself. These birds were much braver than him…..more determined than him….more fearless than him.

They were unnerved by the fuming dark clouds. They had a goal to attain and these clouds weren't going to impede them.

/

"Hm!" He smirked. Staring at his mother's tombstone, he read out the words inscribed on it.

"Marianne, the Flash, the one who inspired greatness and displayed brilliance herself. She always looked high and never down."

He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth as a single strain of tears parted from his right eye. _"I will never bow down or give in to fear. I will always look high and never down. No matter what path I take, I will always move forward."_

He finished his mantra and gazed at the now distant birds. After they were out of view, he turned himself around and out the exit he was.

* * *

**Later**

Lelouch was now staring through the backseat window of a royal armored vehicle. He was surprised to find Cornelia waiting for him with two guardsmen after he had exited the cemetery. She had saved him quite a walk back to his new temporary refuge at Lady Olivia's villa and by the looks of it, from getting soak since it was now pouring.

"So what were you planning to do, walk back home?" Cornelia's interrogation interrupted his thoughts.

"_Well duh! How else was I going to get back home?"_ He thought about using that as a response but instead went for something…mmm….more polite. "No. I was planning to jog back home."

{Pow}. The sound of Cornelia swiping his head reverberated inside the car and hushed the two giggling guardsmen in the front seat.

"OWW! What was that for?"

"Don't make me hit you again?"

Lelouch murmured something under his breath while he soothed his wound.

/

"So how do you feel?" Cornelia now sounded like a saint, a strict saint.

"Pain."

"I'm not talking about that." She yelled, turning back into a demon.

Lelouch knew exactly what she had meant with her question so to prevent any further assault, "Huh, I'm fine."

"Really?"

"I left all my grief and sorrow back there. I'm ready to move on emotionally." Lelouch kept his gaze on at the blurs zipping past the window.

/

Cornelia, reassured with his answer, sighed in relief. _"Looks like he will get over this." _

/

"But" Lelouch wasn't done. "I will find those responsible for my mother's death and…" He paused, clutching his hands into a fist. "...make them pay." He concluded sinisterly.

/

All the three occupants were shocked; the two in front were somewhat terrified. Cornelia, along with being stunned, was also slightly worried. Thirst for revenge fills you with nothing but hate. And she feared this for Lelouch.

But at the same time, his maturity aroused her. She had never seen this side of Lelouch.

Her emotions were contradicting her physical expressions.

And before those emotions could surface, she shook herself to regain to some composure. _"What the hell am I thinking about?"_

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Lelouch, however, was already on this path for revenge. He was narrowing down his suspects.

/

Ever since Cornelia's report, he had arrived to the conclusion that the suspects could be anyone if one assumed the culprit's motive to be the mere jealousy of Lady Marianne's status. For instant, one could easily pin the crime against—oh let's say—Lady Olivia who was his mother's closest companion.

/

Just like his mother, she was equally a consort to the Emperor. But Lady Olivia—like others—weren't exactly the same level as Lady Marianne. _"Father had his favorite." _And that was his mother. That alone bred hatred and jealousy; a perfect recipe for a motive.

/

_"Lady Olivia isn't stupid."_ She knew the risks of betrayal and realized that the Emperor's love was something that no one could attain. It was pointless to remove Lady Marianne from the picture.

_"Father's heart belonged to mother alone...even in death."_ That was the case then and it still is.

All the other marriages were born out of political necessity….not love. A fact he had eavesdropped during a conversation between his mother and Lady Olivia. _["He doesn't love us and would never will."] _she said.

/

_"Petty jealously is too broad. Anyone can be accused with it…" _But what if he focused, not on why, but how, then the number of suspects dwindles.

If the question becomes who is capable of killing the Empress, then one immediate culprit is….. _"….the Emperor." _

/

The Emperor was a mystery. Grabbing the throne when he was 20, his 26 years reign saw the kingdom grow to a magnificent length. Although the realm never expanded—territorially—under his governance, standard of living and other economic and domestics' avenues had improved tremendously.

/

He was seen as the most populous emperor in nearly a century and despite his age was considered as the strongest fire manators in existence.

_"That old man looks like he's 30. Is he really 46?" _But his age was advanced.

/

Lelouch was very irked by his masculine, fit structure.

_"Uh….enough!" _Revulsion and disgust filled him. _"The man is strong…..that's all I need to know."_ He didn't want to go any further.

/

But correctly, the Emperor was the only being—known—strong enough to challenge the Empress.

/

He also had other means to his disposal. _"He's the Emperor for goodness sake. He can freaking do whatever he wants." _ Such as allowing assassins and others to do his deeds or possibly turn a blind eye on them.

/

_"It's less likely that he directly attacked mom. He could but I don't see him getting his hands dirty like that." _

But more importantly, his mother's critical injury… _"….I may be wrong but the emperor is not an air manator." _That meant his direct involvement could be put aside…for now.

_"But there are still many other avenues for him to use and that detached behavior of his….."_ It was too abnormal for Lelouch to ignore even though others, including his siblings, thought it was normal.

_"How is that normal? The man was in love with her. She was everything to him….."_ He paused his thinking; unsure whether his assessment of his mysterious father was accurate. He, himself, barely knew that man

/

"Huuh…._" _He was tired from thinking about him.

Moving on…..

/

His next suspect or suspects were recently added to his list. How recent; mmm…about earlier today during the service.

* * *

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**Flashback: Earlier At the Service**

"Wow…." Glancing around. "….there's a lot of people here." Lelouch whispered in astonishment.

"Shh! You need to stop gawking." June whisperingly ordered her brother to compose himself.

"Why are you so shocked anyway?" Now she was whispering for answers.

"It's just…..I didn't expect so many to show up." The church was filled…..so filled that many unimportant guests were seated under makeshift tents outside.

He was stunned that the funeral attracted so many. Who knew some many viewed his mother favorably.

/

Almost every major noble family in Britannia had a representative in attendance.

Many foreign dignitaries from different states were also present.

/

The second prince of United Kingdom, Prince Edward, was one of them.

Diplomatic relationships with its cousin across the Atlantic weren't friendly, but they weren't hostile either.

United Kingdom, considered as the strongest naval power in the world, viewed Britannia's increasing naval power with suspicion but, in the interest of trade, both nations made sure to avoid any tensions.

/

The Prime Minister of Japan, Genbu Kururugi, was present. On surface, it seemed like Britannia had friendly relationship with the island state, but behind closed doors frustration was boiling against Japan. With the world's largest reserve of Sakuradite, Japan had a huge leverage when it came to dealing with the superpowers.

/

Another significant attendee was the Russian tsar. With his elegant king robes, he brought his spouse along also. The Russian Empire was seen as enigmatic. They had neutral and friendly relationships with everyone which made deciphering their intentions much more challenging.

/

Surprisingly one of the Empire's prominent rival, the European Union, had their Foreign ministers at the event. The EU was composed of Germany, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy—the major powers in the union—Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, and Greece; the distant member since it was geographically separated from the EU.

The Union, initially formed out of the interest of improving trade, quickly unified their currency and turned into a political and defense organization. Member states had to surrender their sovereignty. This made it slightly unattractive to other European states; plus with no serious military threat on the continent, many saw it unnecessary to join it on the bases of defense. Plus membership could also bring the unintended consequences of dragging one's state to war in the name of the Union.

Despite their rivalry and tensions, the EU had a lukewarm relationship with Britannia. The major thorn in their relationship was the Empire's naval presence in the Mediterranean. Just like the UK, the EU viewed it with great suspicion.

/

The President of Turkey, Britannia's only ally in the Mediterranean, had to be present. One of the five Britannia's fleet, the Mediterranean Fleet, was based at Turkey on a lease. It seemed like the Turkish leader was also here to complete an arms-sales deal with Britannia.

/

Another prominent dignitary was the Queen of Australia, Queen Flora Nanadan. She gained her title when she was Lelouch's age; a nine year old—right before the turn of the century and right after a short but bloody coup.

* * *

Flashback: 1999 Historical Content

This coup—unsuccessful by the way—started when the Australian prime minister of that tenure sort more power. During those periods, the prime minister position held little weight in power and only served as the figurehead of the state. All major decisions—including the appointment of the prime minister—were made by the monarchs and the ruling royal families. The candidates for the prime ministerial position were members of parliament.

/

The royal families in Australia consisted of clans from both the Air and the Earth Bloodlines. Both bloodlines would take turns ruling the country as monarchs to prevent any strife between the two. The ruling monarch at the time of the coup belonged to the Ashford Clan, a clan from the Air Bloodline.

/

In the spring of 1999, the Prime Minister, with assistance from the military, seized the capital, Canberra, and all the federal structures in it. He reasoned to the citizens in the capital that the sudden presence of the military and the lockdown of the capital were part of an operation to hunt down terrorists. With the seizure of the media, this news couldn't reach other cities in the country and the world. But many citizens figured something was wrong when there were rumors of similar military lockdowns being enforced in other major cities.

/

The Prime Minister, contrary to his public announcement, was actually hunting down the remnants of the royal families. He had assassinated the King and his wife, but his brother, Ruben K. Ashford, had escaped with his daughter and her baby.

/

Flora Nanadan was at a naval base in the Jervis Bay Territory with her father when the coup reached them. Together, the two earth manipulators were able to kill the treasonous generals and some of their men who had seized the base. The rest switched sides and re-pledge their allegiance to the crown especially after they were promised a lesser punishment for their treasonous actions.

/

Nine year old Flora and her father realized their assembled force was too small to retake the capital or the cities leading to it. They needed aid and her father begrudgingly called the one superpower that might assist, Britannia. He didn't particularly trust Britannia and her Emperor, but realized that she had the force—Britannia's military bases in Hawaii—to assist and also an interest in keeping Australia intact. The fall of Australia—a country governed by a monarchy government similar to Britannia—could possibly cause parallel repercussions to Britannia.

/

After the crisis in Australia was publicized and leaked to the world a week later, Charles agreed to assist. He authorized the South Pacific Fleet, based in Hawaii, with a substantial ground force to assist the Australian forces under the Nanadan Family's banner.

/

With the additional ground troops and a naval blockade imposed by the Royal Australia Navy &amp; Britannia's fleet, Lady Flora was able to retake the Capital but she was a little too late. Three weeks had passed since the Prime Minister made his first move and took over the capital. And during that tenure, he had massacred half of the clans from both the Air &amp; the Earth Bloodlines.

/

The Ashford Clan was one of the worst affected with only half a dozen members of the clan surviving the whole ordeal. Out of fear, Ruben Ashford forever abandoned his family's claim to the crown. They took refuge on one of the island territories before completely disappearing. Lady Flora's clan also suffered since their leader and also her father had died in battle. After the capital was captured, she assumed authority as the new monarch and became the 21st Queen of Australia. One of her first action was the abolishment of the prime ministerial position.

Flashback End: Historical Content 

* * *

"Even Queen Flora came." Lelouch said while he observed Cornelia having a quiet conversation with the 19 year old Queen with the curly light brown hair..

"Why are you surprised by that?" June expected Lelouch to know the current relationship between their empire and Australia. She caught sight of Cornelia and the Queen just before the two broke off and headed to their respective seats.

"You're right. Australia practically became best buddies with us after that incident." Lelouch meekly reproached himself for his mental lapse.

/

Staring as the two figures waved goodbyes at each other, he recalled that besides Lady Marianne, Queen Flora was another figure that Cornelia adored the most. How could he forget…all those countless nights she kept him awake with tales about how a young queen bravely took back her country after a treacherous coup….of course with their father swooping in as a hero to assist the fearless young queen.

/

_"Please…father a hero?" _Like claiming the Joker was Batman just because he had the dark knight's cape on.

_"WAIT!" _The realization came to him._ "Where is that old man?" _

He hadn't seen him. He was missing from his wife's funeral; a funeral where many heads of state were in attendance. _"I can't believe he didn't show up…."_

/

And almost on cue, an announcement was made; the Emperor had arrived. The main doors of the church opened to reveal the daunting figure of the Emperor. The morning sunlight obscured his entire stature and elongated his shadow down the aisle. He looked mighty. His entourage, behind him, came into view when he edged himself past the door. The church's occupants had risen at the proclamation of his name and now they stood silently, watching him and his unusual entourage strode down the aisle. His final destination; his Empress casket.

/

However, he paused after moving past the foremost row, which seated his entire family. Glancing behind his shoulder—shrouded by his robe and covered with an elegant epaulette—his fierce, hard stare prompted these occupants—all his children—to display their respect.

His six princes performed a neck bow while his six princesses curtsied for him.

/

Still bowing, Lelouch began to wonder. Why did he immediately avoid his father's gaze? Was it out fear? He didn't want to believe that it was. But another sensation interrupted his thoughts. _"Someone is looking at me."_ A very heavy pressure, he felt. It wasn't his father. No, it was different; like eyes lusting for blood. He felt like being stab with hot piercing daggers.

/

After a moment, Charles took his sights off his offspring and restarted his progress towards the casket.

His twelve heirs ceased their reverence after they heard the echoing sound of his footsteps.

/

Lifted his head, Lelouch's eyes met the four mysterious figures among his father's entourage. This entourage included the Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein; four royal guardsmen, and these four mysterious figures—who were all wearing a similar stylish mid-calf-length black hooded cape. Their cape was very stylish; fastened around the neck by a double cord with golden buttons on both ends. They had a short capelet over the cape, with Britannia's insignia around it.

A different insignia—a flame that had reptilian wings on either side—was imprinted on the back of their cape, just below the capelet. The color of the flame was different for each figure and was the only thing differentiating them.

/

Their hoods concealed their faces with darkness, but not their eyes. And Lelouch was feeling the sensation of being peered into. It didn't help that he continued to stare back at the figures that stood several feet away from him to his right.

/

_"Who….who are these guys?" _Lelouch was mentally becoming unstable. He looked calm, standing alongside his siblings, but fear was beginning to unravel him. Why was he scared? These guys were just staring at them.

He didn't know why, but his body was screaming danger.

_"Why are these guys looking at me?" _But their sights were placed on all them…..all of Charles' offspring it seemed.

But Lelouch disagreed.

/

_"Why….why….and damn it why can't I stop staring back?" _He was shivering. He felt their eyes trained at him alone. _"Fuck…I'm getting nervous."_

/

To an untrained observer, it looked like the hooded figures were waiting for Charles to finish paying his respect to his deceased wife and killing time by staring at the heirs to the throne. But why the secrecy...why were they hiding behind their hoods?

/

_"Fuck….fuck….how can some stares cause me to lose composure?" _Lelouch calm demeanor was being replaced with fear. His arms were trembling. His legs were shuddering. He felt extremely hot, and worst…..

_"My body…my body is screaming at me to get away from here. These guys are bad news. Damn it, I can't even look away." _

/

Lelouch for the first time felt like his life was in danger. He sensed danger from these individuals but couldn't muster any muscle movement besides shivering.

_"Eh, so this is what…paralyzed by fear…fells like. Fuck, it sucks. I feel like an ant about to be squashed."_ Lelouch despised his state. His body had given in easily into fear.

/

Although he was ashamed at his own weakness, he blamed the mysterious observers for his distress. _"What do these guys want? Why do I sense such maleficent from their gazes? How can I sense such maleficent? Am I the only one who feels this?" _Lelouch wondered if he was alone in his plight, but couldn't move his head to observe his siblings besides him.

/

Panic was in control of him but his savior came to his rescue again.

/

Nunnally, seated to his right, grabbed Lelouch's shivering hand. Her contact allowed him to break free from his paralyzed state of fear. He was shocked and relief at the same time. He tilted his head to find a worried looking Nunnally. She had noticed her half-brother's nervous and fear stricken state.

/

Lelouch, now panting slightly, produced a feeble smile to assure his half-sister, but she didn't buy it and still had a concern expression on her face.

/

Then his left hand was grabbed. He turned to find Mika—seated to his left—displaying the same worried expression. He now realized. His struggle was noticed by those around him. He looked around to find concern faces from June, seated to the left of Mika, and Euphemia—the right of Nunnally.

/

Lelouch's eyes fell, a smile on his face. He was happy, relieved that his siblings were there with him.

/

His thoughts were broken by the sounds of footsteps. He looked up to find the four now standing alongside the Emperor staring at his mother in her casket.

/

This exchange only lasted for about a minute before the Emperor parted away from his wife and out of the church with his entourage. The tense and silent atmosphere inside dropped, and the crowd finally went down to the seats when the doors closed. Prince Schneizel then went up to the podium to say a few remarks to continue the service.

**Flashback End**

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* * *

**Present: In the Car**

"_Who the hell were those guys? And why were they…." _Lelouch shivered slightly from his reminiscence involving today's event. Cornelia noticed this.

"_Whoever they were, they look like bad news. I don't know how but I sensed menacing aura from those guys. Almost as great as the Emperor's _

_….but….but…much more sinister." _He didn't know how to describe it; those guys' thirst for blood.

/

"Are you alright?" Cornelia interjected his train of thoughts; worried from his sudden trembling. Euphie had mentioned about Lelouch's reaction to the four hooded individuals with their father today.

"Lelouch! Are you okay?" She asked again, edging closer this time. _"Was he thinking about them?"_ She wanted to ask but didn't.

/

Lelouch realized that he was once again caught in a fear stricken state. He was ashamed at his weakness.

He exhaled to calm his mind down. "I'm fine. I was just…..thinking."

/

_"Thinking? Don't tell me…..he was thinking about them." _Cornelia's detective mind had concluded.

/

A moment went by in which both occupants were pondering on whether or not to ask questions involving the four mysterious individuals. Cornelia decided not to; out of fear of worsening her brother's state.

/

Lelouch however decided to press on. "Hey, do you know…." He paused on his words. They were travelling on an unfamiliar road.

"Uhh, where are we and where are we going?" He inquired with a frown.

/

Cornelia was slightly taken back at the change of question. _"I was sure he was about to ask about something different."_

"Well, I decided to take you somewhere to lighten your mood, so…"

/

"So you took me out of the District and brought me into the city?" Lelouch interjected and asked with a straight voice.

/

"Will you let me finish? Besides you don't even know where we're going?" Cornelia stated and looked away to hide her blush. She was slightly embarrassed herself. Never had she taken someone out and plus she was never known to be this soft.

After realizing that there were other occupants besides her half-brother, she quickly turned to her two personal guardsmen and said, "If you ever tell anyone about this…you know what will happen, right?"

The two individual men quickly nodded in fear to assure their superior.

/

Lelouch chuckled at Cornelia's sudden change from being embarrassed to demonic.

His giggling caused her demonic nature to disappear. She smiled for her brother was having fun.

/

"We're here!" She announced which caused Lelouch to subdue his laughter. He turned to find a café restaurant.

"I haven't been here in a long time!" He was excited.

Cornelia was glad…..glad that she brought him here.

/

"Well, let's go in already." Lelouch had opened the car's passenger door and was about to leap out but paused when he realized it was still pouring.

"Uhh, by the way, do you by any chance have an umbrella with you?"

* * *

**Next Day**

Lelouch was alone, resting on a chair at the patio in Lady Olivia's backward-garden. He was currently indulged in a chess match with himself.

/

"Hey, Lelouch." A hot-pink hair colored female intruded his peace and stood behind him. But Lelouch ignored this individual and continued his self-inflicting chess battle.

Normally, Euphie would be incensed at Lelouch's current behavior of ignoring her but her mother had specifically told her to give him space to mourn for these couple days. That meant she wasn't supposed to be here in the first place.

/

She inhaled and exhaled to calm her boiling temperament. "Lelouch, I know you're probably still in shock and saddened by what happen to your mother...…" She paused to think on a follow-up. "But….." She couldn't think of a follow-up.

She was worried about her half-brother, especially with the incident at the service with the four mysteries. She wanted to lighten up his mood and the best way to do that, in her mind, was taking him out of the Imperial District and into the city to have fun and conduct other activities—Cornelia never told her about their café detour to the city yesterday. In fact she cautioned Lelouch from telling anyone.

/

"Lelou….." She was about to state her proposition to Lelouch until a guardsmen interrupted.

"Good morning Prince Lelouch, Princess Euphemia." The Royal Guard placed his knee to the ground and elegantly had his fisted hand on his chest and another on his back.

"Please, pardon me for my interruptions." Euphemia was slightly irate at his bad timing while Lelouch paused his game to give his attention to the guardsman.

"Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, the Emperor has summoned you to appear before him at exactly noon...two days from today."

/

The two stunned royalties remained silent until Euphie began to stammer. "A roy…roy…royal summoning?" Her face was filled with terror.

Although a royal summoning could mean anything, the Emperor had turned it into a cue for something misfortune; as in bad news for anyone being summoned to appear before him. The last occurred about nine months ago and it involved a Duke whose shipping business was caught hunting endangered species in international waters near the Arctic. He was stripped off his title and everything, and was sentenced to 15 years behind bars. No one knows what happened to his family.

/

Lelouch remembered the recent Duke summoning and so he questioned the messenger. "What is the reason for my summoning?" Individuals who were summoned in the past usually had done something severe. _"What have I done to deserve a summoning?"_

"I'm sorry your highness, but I was given no details. A confirmation for your summoning is enclosed in this envelope." He stretched out his hand which held the envelope.

Lelouch slowly took it and saw the seal of a lion—which meant this came from the Emperor himself. He meticulously unveiled it.

"Lelouch vi Britannia, you've been ordered to appear before your majesty, Emperor…in a royal summoned on the 10th of November…" His eyes had widened as read out the contents in a barely audible voice.

After he was done examining the letter, he hung his head and excused the guardsman. Euphie was still in shock to say anything.

* * *

**A/N:**

Next chapter is titled **Judgment Day**

**It will also reveal the unfortunate character I plan to axe. **Don't worry! You guys will get a chance to vote on it.


	3. Chapter 3: CG Arc: Judgment Part 1

**A/N: **

Check the** bottom A/N to find some of the characters I plan to axe.**

* * *

**Spoilers:**

I will use this word; 'Azar' pronounced [A-z-are]

**Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass**, and apologies for any grammar errors in this chapter. **THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS!**

"Speak"

"**LOUD SPEAKER**"

_"Thoughts"_

["Radio chatters response"]

{Sounds}

* * *

Chapter 3: Judgment Part 1

**DAY OF SUMMONING**

**November 10th 2009; Noon**

_"I'm ready for this."_ Lelouch sighed and relaxed his shoulders. The main, double door entrance of the Grand Hall towered over him. Even a 10ft ogre would feel tiny standing in front this.

/

He nodded to one of the guardsman securing this extravagant entrance. He nodded back in response and then went for his communication device hidden behind his collar.

"DoorKeeper 1 to ShadowMan 6."

["Go ahead DoorKeeper 1."]

"Nestling is in the house. Over."

["10-4"]

/

_"Wait!...My codename is nestling?" _Lelouch frowned; squinting at the grey coat who just mouthed behind his collar. Maybe he had misheard him.

_"No!...It sounded like my codename was a bird that hasn't left its nest." _Lelouch felt offended by his supposedly given-name.

/

After debating whether to ask or not, he decided his pride was at stake.

"Hey, is nestl…" Lelouch tried to inquire but…

**"His Highness, the 6th Prince of Britannia, Lelouch vi Britannia has arrived!" **A loud proclamation from inside the Grand Hall startled him.

/

Immediately following the announcement was the wood cracking sound of the double entry opening.

_"Okay, this is it." _He tossed everything out of his head and exhaled. _"Just come down and stay focus. Hopefully everything pans out like how we discussed last night."_

* * *

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**Flashback: Last Night**

"So…umm…how is my cooking?" Lady Olivia broke the silence at the dinner table.

"Mom…you didn't make this." Euphie, seated across from her mother, straightforwardly rejected her claim of being the chef in the house.

Miss Rhoda, one of the real chefs, entered the dining room. "It's okay Euphie. Your mother was a real help."

"By help, you mean eating the food while it was still being prepared." Miss Kaniz, the younger of the two chefs in the villa, revealed as she brought some light refreshments into the large dinner chamber.

/

"What? Tasting food is a real occupational hazard. Someone has to do it." Ms. Olivia pouted. Her feelings hurt.

"Thank you for your sacrifice." A sarcastic praise from Miss Kaniz….causing Miss Rhoda, the head chef, to chuckle.

/

{Sniff sniff}. Lady Olivia began to tear up; her hands hiding her crocodile tears.

"Don't worry Ms. Olivia. I thought you're cooking was great." Mika seated to the right of Olivia offered her sincere appreciation.

"Aww Mika, you're the only one that understands me." She hugged the five year old; squeezing her tiny body into her mounds and sobbing falsely into the five year old's teal hair.

Euphie and Nunnally sweat dropped. They couldn't believe the antics their fuchsia hair colored lady was displaying. The chefs meanwhile left the scene; not wanting to become the next victim of their boss's antics.

/

Cornelia sighed. The only reason why this dialogue even began was because the only male occupant here hadn't touched his meal.

"Ahem!" Cornelia cleared her throat to remind her mother that she was overlooking the real issue.

/

"Huuuh." She lethargically ceased caressing Mika who was very glad to be free from that death hug.

/

"Mika, why don't you go upstairs to wash up?" She gleefully pinched both cheeks of the teal hair kid.

"Okay, but….." Mika paused, thinking of an excuse. "Nunnally said not to bath alone."

"Don't worry! Nunnally and Euphie will join you." She beamed at the two girls sitting across from her.

/

"But…" Euphie planned to protest. "I haven't finished my meal." She concluded while taking a glance at the boy to her right. She, like everyone else, was worried and thus didn't want to leave.

Lelouch, seated at one end of the rectangular dining table, hadn't even taken a bite.

/

Lady Olivia understood her daughter's intentions but…

"Euphie!" Olivia's voice was firm. Her playful demeanor changed to a serious one.

/

Euphie didn't protest this time. She mumbled a few inaudible words and left the room with her plate. Nunnally followed but not before urging Mika to follow suit as well. Mika was also reluctant to leave but she knew Lady Olivia orders were absolute. She took a quick glance at her half-brother before scurrying off to Nunnally.

/

Immediately after the three left, Cornelia and June claimed Euphie's and Nunnally's seats and became closer to Lelouch. Lady Olivia waited for the two teens to settle in their new seats across from her.

/

"Lelouch dear." Olivia touched his knuckles softly.

"Huh?" Lelouch was awakened from his stupor. "Where is everybody?" He referred to the three absent young princesses.

"They're all…" Ms. Olivia hesitated. "…upstairs." She finished with a worried expression. _"Was he in a trance the whole time?" _

Lelouch understood that look from Ms. Olivia. He looked away in shame and covered his eyes with his hand. _"I was too caught in my thoughts."_ He then noticed his untouched dinner plate.

/

"Lelouch, don't worry about the royal summoning." Lady Olivia started.

"Yeah, besides it could be about anything." Cornelia interjected to support her mother.

Lelouch just remained silent; brooding while his hand still covered his face. The rest saw they weren't making any progress.

/

"Lelouch! Do you know who you are? You are the son of Empress Marianne; the one known as the Flash and feared as one of the strongest fire manators ever to come from the Azar Clan." Lelouch lifted his head up slightly after hearing his mother's clan name.

Ms. Olivia continued. "Her blood runs strong in you Lelouch. It runs strong in you two." She looked intently at June. "Heck, you both got her black hair for goodness sake." Lelouch's head was now fully up which allowed Lady Olivia to face him properly and continue her impromptu speech. "Lelouch, you can't cower. You can't show weakness. Don't be afraid of this summoning?"

/

"But.….." Lelouch stuttered. "But I don't know why I'm being summoned." He revealed the one thing troubling him the most.

"Because you're her son." Olivia answered immediately.

/

Lelouch eyes widened. "That's…that's right!" He proclaimed emphatically which momentarily surprised everyone.

He cupped his chin and slightly covered his lips in a thinking pose._ "Why didn't I realize this before? I'm her only son that means I'm the only one who can legitimately represent her." _

Despite gender equality in almost every aspect of Britannia society, men were still favored in leadership positions. When it came to choosing heirs to lead clans and noble families, males were instantly picked over females regardless of age. Having a male heir secured once lineage and fortune since it guarded against any marriage style takeover. Unlike males who marry into the family, females are married out of the family; they leave their birth-place with all of their possessions. This creates an environment were male heirs are groomed more than female heirs. Noble families would frequently send out their male heirs as their representatives in formal occasions.

/

The others were pleased to see Lelouch in his usual thinking pose.

"_Looks like he back to himself." _Cornelia thought.

"So wait! It's possible that this royal summoning isn't really about me, but more about mom." Lelouch proclaimed, cutting everyone from their thoughts.

"Like I said, a royal summoning can be about anything." Cornelia emphasized once again.

"I know. I've just realized that. Father could be using this as a way to get information out there; information about mom. I'm just there to stand in her name since I'm her only son." Lelouch shared his new mindset.

"You're right. That could be it." Cornelia sounded enlightened. _"That would make sense especially since Lelouch hasn't committed any wrongdoings."_

"Wait! We shouldn't jump to conclusions. We don't know why father summoned you." June reminded everyone.

"June is right. You still have to be cautious out there tomorrow. Remember Lelouch, the ones who attacked your mother are still out there and I bet ya they will be watching tomorrow's event real closely." Lady Olivia warned him.

"Even though, there will be no media coverage, the aftermath of tomorrow's event will still be leaked." Cornelia stated while she cupped her chin; pondering about how this leakage might occur.

/

The room was silent was for a while until….

"Well, I'll have to leave you guys for now." Cornelia suddenly got up.

"You're going to your overnight shift?" Her fuchsia hair colored mother queried.

"Yeah, some last minute schedule changes. I'm going to HQ to check on the security details for tomorrow's event. Almost every noble in the city plans to show up. _In fact, if it wasn't for the short notice, every noble in the country would have booked a spot._" She kept that last part to herself. "It's not like they are all going to get a spot. It will be first come first serve for most. Anyway, see you tomorrow Lelouch." She was about to exit but paused. "Oh and June, can you still make it?"

"Yep. I have to be there at 6 am, right?"

"Mmhm. 6 o'clock at the Transit Building. Well goodnight everyone." She scurried out of there.

/

Lelouch watched her disappear and then felt someone petting his hair.

The culprit spoke. "I have to get some sleep. I won't be here in the morning to wake you up so good luck little brother." June smiled wearily at her brother while she stared at him in the eyes. Lelouch, equally, gazed at her ruby colored irises.

"Awww." Ms. Olivia was enjoying the sibling bonding. "This is so…{sniff}…nice." She began to tear up which generated a confused look from Lelouch and a tiny blush from June.

"I better leave before she starts to make fun of me." The slightly embarrassed black hair teen decided to leave.

"Aw wait! Where are you going?" Ms. Olivia tried to convince the teen to stay longer.

"Goodnight everyone!" June's last words before she disappeared.

"Aw she left. Well, I guess I better get some sleep too." Ms. Olivia got up and was heading upstairs. "Don't stay up too long, dear."

"Okay. See you tomorrow." Lelouch waved her a goodnight and watched her disappear also.

"_Now then." _Lelouch was back to his thoughts. _"If I assumed that I'm not involved here and that I'm just being summoned in mom's name, then I'll have to make the audience realize this somewhere, but how?" _A steady tapping by his index finger broke the silence in the room.

_"I can give a quick speech. __No, it won't work. Unless he has given me the permission, I can't speak without permission in a royal summoning. That would be a court insubordination and I don't want that. What about providing hints during my replies? No, that's not full proof especially since I don't know what he's going to be asking. Come to think of it, I haven't spoken with him in a long time. Like what? 2 plus years." _He seized his tapping. _"Damn, that's a long time."_

Lelouch paused to absorb this sudden realization._ "This makes predicting his actions much harder. I don't really know him that well to begin with. We don't interact at all. I saw him only three times this year before mother's funeral."_

He sighed. _"Anyway, what other options do I have? _

He frowned at his plate, going through a multitude of ideas in a few seconds, then…_ "How about appearance?" _That ideas seemed stupid initially, considering he was not a fashion person, but in this situation…._ "Yeeah, that might work. It's risky but it might work."_

**Flashback Ends**

* * *

**Present: Inside the Grand Hall**

Lelouch was walking gallantly down the aisle towards the Emperor. Flanked on both sides by the spectators, he noticed their bewildered facial expressions. He occasionally saw some of them having a snippet of conversation with their acquaintances.

"_Hm. I guess this clothing line worked." _He felt his attire had achieved its effects.

This attire was a casual Victorian style suit; white pants, shirt beneath a white vest, a purple cravat necktie, and a white tailcoat to add some formality to his fashion. He tried to show some patriotism by having a mixture of gold and purple colors patterns on his white tailcoat and white vest.

This normal attire was not the reason why the audience was gawking at him; it was what he had over it. Lelouch was wearing a black high collar cape. It almost reached his feet and covered his shoulders.

But what stood out the most about this cape was the large insignia on its back; a large blue rose. The flower of this blue rose was more accentuated and thus somewhat obscured the sepal and the stem below it. Two miniature versions of this insignia were on both sides of the collar. This blue rose emblem explained why they were blue fabrics on the edge-lines of the cape and why the cape was being held together in the front by three blue cords.

Lelouch had certainly caused a stir, since everyone in the room recognized the blue rose to be the crest of the Azar Clan, one of the elite clans in the fire bloodline and also his mother's clan. But for Lelouch to brazenly wear their emblem—even though he wasn't a member—was quite unexpected, especially since the existence of clans was a shadowy affair.

The chatter picked up as he neared the throne.

/

Cornelia was shocked. She, along with June, stood on the left side of the aisle and was one of the closest to the Emperor's throne.

"Did you know anything about this?" She whisperingly asked her black hair female companion.

"No. No, I left early remember." June whispered back.

"Did mother not see him wearing it this morning?" Cornelia whispered.

"That might be, because I don't think she would have allowed it." June quietly gave her input. "She probably left early herself."

Cornelia then noticed that her own mother, on the other side of the aisle, was also quite stunned.

/

Lelouch was now in front of the throne, seating his father, with the steps being the only thing separating him from it. His father raised his right hand which silenced the noisy spectators. Lelouch immediately bowed; one knee to the ground and a fisted hand placed on his chest and back.

Charles rested his hand and then said, "You may rise!"

There was moment of silence, then…

"How have you been doing, son?"

Lelouch and the entire audience were dumbfounded. They never thought the Emperor could use such a phrase.

Lelouch quickly snapped himself from his trance to reply. "I've been doing great, your highness."

"Ohh? I thought you were suffering from the loss of your mother?"

Lelouch averted his gaze to floor. "I was suffering but I recovered, your highness"

"And here I was worried about you. I guess it was all for nothing." Charles sounded heart broken.

Lelouch widened his eyes as he continued to gaze at the floor. _"What is this? What is father doing?" _

"Son?" Charles snapped Lelouch from his daze.

"I'm sorry your highness. I'm sorry I caused you to worry." Lelouch quickly replied.

"Why are you sorry? Isn't it a father's duty to worry about his children?"

"_You? A father? Worried? How dare you use those words….." _Lelouch was seething beneath but with his face pointed towards the floor, no one saw his expression. "Yes it is…..the duty of a father to care about his children, your highness."

"Well Lelouch, have I been a good father to you?" Charles leaned slightly closer, edging of his throne.

/

Inside the heads of some of the gatherers:

"_What the fuck? What the heck is father doing? Any regular person would've lost their mind by now?" _Cornelia was beginning to lose composure herself. _"Lelouch, stay on game!"_

"_Oh I see." _Schneizel sounded enlightened. _"So this is game father is playing. It seems really unfair considering his opponent is young and the fact that he had been shielded from the world since birth by his mother." _Schneizel gave an assessment of his half-brother.

"_Charles. What kind of fucking game are you playing?" _{Gasp}. Lady Olivia had an epiphany moment. _"Don't tell me that was what he was planning the whole time? Lelouch you better choose your answers carefully! You've already agitated him by wearing your mother's colors."_

/

Lelouch was deeply irate. His mind was coursing with revulsion. _"You? A good father?"_

But he calmed himself down before bringing his gaze back to his father.

"No, your highness." He answered calmly.

"OHH!" There was a unanimous gasp from the audience. They watched intently at the two figures as both father and son stared at each other right in their eyes.

Charles suddenly broke the engagement and started laughing maniacally. This again earned another shocked reaction from everyone. Lelouch glared at him quizzically.

"Oh Lelouch." His laughter started to recede as his tone grew louder than before. "Lelouch, I've given you free food, free clothing, free housing, free tutelage. You live under my aegis. Your path to the future has been set." He had extended his arms apart while he stated those facts.

"Everything you can ever get in life is at your fingertips." He brought his arms back down and now edged closer to his son. "And you think I'm not a good father. Tell me? Do you know how many kids would love to be in your position?" He rested back into his throne as he tapped his fingers on the armrest of his seat.

Lelouch was baffled. He didn't know how to respond and he didn't have to.

"Well, I'll tell." Charles started again since his son had remained stillness.

"1 million. There are about 1 million homeless children in our country that would love to have a snippet of what you have." He paused for a bit. "But don't worry! Cause I plan to do something about it. That is why today I plan to announce the Young-Homeless Restoration Effect. We are to going to bring shelter, food nourishment, and provide education for those 1 million children." His proclamation certainly surprised some in the audience. "I'm sure those kids will certainly be more appreciative than you ever were." He took his final jab at his son who brought his gaze back down.

"_Fuck, how foolish was I? One simple answer and he has turned it into a bashing. Why did I let my emotions get the…."_

"Oh well, let's move on." Charles interrupted Lelouch's thoughts.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Lelouch, I'm sure you are well aware of what happened to your mom?"

"Yes, your highness."

"Well, does her loss make us, the Britannia Empire, look weak or strong?"

"_What the heck? What's up with all these stupid questions?" _Frustration was starting to build within but Lelouch tampered them back down. "Lady Marianne was a great Empress, your highness."

"I know she was Lelouch. Why do you think I wed her? But now as a nation in mourn, does her passing unites us or divides us?"

"It unites us, your highness."

"And isn't something that is united much stronger than anything divided?"

"It is your highness."

"So again as nation, are we stronger or weaker after Empress Marianne passed away?" Charles leaned forward again.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"_Oh, father has him trapped now." _Schneizel smirked since he foresaw the outcome in this battle.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"_Damn it! I have no choice but to answer 'stronger' but I know there's a trap waiting for me. Fuck! I'm cornered." _Lelouch was debating his answers until he finally picked one.

"Your highness, it is true that the loss of Empress Marianne brought everyone together but as a nation, we've become weaker."

"Ohhh, is that so?" Charles was smirking. _"Lelouch, your passion will be your downfall." _"And how have we become weaker?"

Lelouch wasted no time. "Because we lost a great person; someone who inspired and galvanized others and was always seen as a beacon of hope, your highness."

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"_Checkmate Lelouch! You've lost." _Schneizel smirked again for the end was near.

"_Dad, what are you planning?" _June wondered.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"So the attackers….when they took the Empress' life away, they also took away the one thing that made us stronger." He clasped his hands to emphasize strength. "And now we've become weaker as a result." He separated his hands afterwards.

Lelouch just watched him.

"Tell me son, what does a man that was robed, beaten, and almost killed do?" Charles changed topics.

"He seeks medical attention."

"Because?" Charles was luring him.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"_He's starting to lose his patient. He didn't add 'your highness' in his last reply." _June noticed the subtle changes within her brother.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"_He wants me to say 'weak'" _Lelouch figured where this was heading. "Because he has been injured and is weakened as a result." He softly added the last part.

"Exactly. And do you think this man has the ability to find his assailants in his weakened state?"

"No." Lelouch voice was soft but a trace of frustration was detectable.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"_Lelouch! What are you doing? Speaking without honorifics? Normally that would constitute a royal contempt. Is father purposely letting this go?" _Cornelia felt dread for her brother as the crowd was starting to get jittery since they were witnessing a royal contempt in action.

Charles however continued, disregarding this small offense since he was going for the big fish.

"That's a good answer son. This weak man will seek help and will focus on recuperation. Getting revenge is the furthest thing on his mind. In fact, I bet that instead of revenge, he will instead focus on ways to protect himself or to prevent similar confrontation in the future." Charles paused for a breather. "And as a nation that is weak, since you stated that yourself, we should focus on getting better and stronger in this time of great distress. We shouldn't focus on getting retribution for this heinous attack that befell upon us…."

"Father!" Lelouch interjected; earning another audible gasped from the crowd. "What are you proposing?" Lelouch furrowed his brow.

The chatter grew louder suddenly. The crowd couldn't believe it. He had just committed a court insubordination. Charles raised his hand to silence the loquacious nobles.

"Okay son, I will get to the point." He narrowed his eyes. "I am ending the investigation involving Empress Marianne's assassination."

"WHAT?" Okay, that's 2 counts of court insubordination plus the multiple counts of royal contempt.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Cornelia, June, Olivia and even Schneizel had widen their eyes.

"_Okay, I didn't see that coming." _Schneizel smirked at his shortsighted prediction.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"WHY? Why are you doing this?" Lelouch yelled again, making it 3 counts of court insubordination; don't forget the audacity to question the Emperor himself, who, by the way, was smirking uncontrollably.

This infuriated Lelouch even further. "Why are you laughing?"

"Son, as an empire that is constantly growing, we don't have room for weakness. We need to focus on moving forward."

"So you are going to let the ones who took mom's life….GET AWAY?" Lelouch took one step closer to the throne with his hand fisted by his sides.

"What happened has already happened. There's no use crying over spilled milk." Charles calmly stated with his eyes closed.

"MOM WASN'T SOME MILK!" Lelouch yelled immediately. "She was your wife." He teared up while he placed one fisted hand onto his chest.

"And I am your father."

"No, you're not." Lelouch yelled again.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

The crowd by now had used up all their shock hormones to even react properly to this one. Some were slightly tearing up from Lelouch's passionate argument while others were just waiting for the Emperor to bring the hammer down; and they didn't have to wait too long.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Charles got up from his seat, which caused Lelouch to stumble backwards and ultimate land on his behind.

"Well, no son of mine shall ever claim my name or throne." He brought his visage upon the audience.

"I hereby issue a decree that the Royal Guards are to cease any investigations pertaining to Empress Marianne vi Britannia's death. Second…" He took a couple steps towards Lelouch. "I hereby issue a decree that from here forth, your rights as heir to the throne have been rescinded. You are no longer a Britannia and as such you don't deserve the title of a Prince. Bismarck!" He shouted. "Take this insolent fool into the caverns to await more punishment" With that, the Emperor left the court through the back door, leaving a stunned crowd and Lelouch.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"What on earth…" Cornelia couldn't complete her sentence. Immediately she saw that a swarm of Imperial Guards—personal royal guards of the emperor, some high officials, and some knight of rounds—had surrounded Lelouch and had knocked him out to prevent any commotion or to prevent him from knowing where they were taken him.

If it wasn't for June's quick action of grabbing Cornelia by the arm, there was no doubt that she would have taken action. Instead the 15 year old seethed in rage as she watched her brother being ferried away.

"How can you remain calm?" She asked her younger 13 year old companion as they watched their brother being carried away through the main entrance.

"Trust me! You don't want to know how I feel right now." June replied calmly but with such spitefulness.

* * *

**A/N:**

So here are the characters treading on thin ice:

[**Yin**: From Darker than Black]

[**Misaki Kirihara**: From Darker than Black]

[**V.V.**: From Code Geass]

Go to my profile page and let your vote decide the fates of these characters.

Otherwise, I will axe them. It is not a threat I take lightly.

Stay tune for Judgment Day Nombre Deux. (That's French for #2)


	4. Chapter 4: CG Arc: Judgment Part 2

**A/N:** Okay that's it! No more promises because I've just broken another one.

It turns out that **Judgment Day** will be a **four part series**. Sorry everyone :) especially Lone Gundam.

Hopefully you guys won't stop reading, but if you did, well I guess its shame on me for letting your hopes down.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass**, and apologies for any grammar errors in this chapter.

Read, **Enjoy**, Review, &amp; **VOTE**

* * *

Chapter 4: Judgment Part 2

**REVELATIONS**

**November 10th 2009; Midnight**

"Mom! Where are you?" Lelouch called out as he chased the echoing voices from his mother.

"Lelouch…Lelouch…." The endless echoing calls—from what sounded like multiple Mariannes—filled the dark void surrounding Lelouch.

"Mom! MOMMM!" Lelouch, weary from sprinting around in the dark abyss, paused to yell out her name.

"Lelouch…Lelouch…" His mother's same monotonously replies filled his senses. Frustration began to boil within as he felt bombarded by his own name emanating from all direction.

"AHHHH, Lady Marianne! Where are you?" His yelled inquiry finally brought peace to the darkness around him since it ended the hoard of voices repeating his name.

He enjoyed this tranquility and stood frozen to absorb the darkness surrounding him. Then…

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Son." A loving voice reached his ears from behind him. He reacted immediately since the voice sounded like….

"Mother." Lelouch's soft, barely audible response didn't emphasize his astonishment enough, but his eyes did. They threatened to leap out of their sockets from how wide they were.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Lelouch peered intently at the woman standing in front of him like she was a ghost. But wasn't she supposed to be? He sluggishly marched forward; approaching the regal figure slowly and woozily. He tried to reach for her with both hands when he had shortened the distance.

Before he could feel the white gown that his mother worn, she extended her palm to stop him in his tracks.

"Lelouch, stop!" She commanded.

Lelouch was baffled. His own mother didn't want him near her. Before he could utter a word, she continued.

"You can't touch me, Lelouch. Cause if you do, you will learn that I'm not real and your emotions will erase me from your mind."

"_What!" _Lelouch's mind was racing to comprehend everything that was just spoken.

Marianne smirked a bit from witnessing her son's dumbfounded expression. She knew her son would grapple with this revelation, but she enjoyed watching his struggling herself.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

She sighed as she placed aside her humor to assist her son in understanding his situation.

"Lelouch, I'm not real. My real self, whatever state she is in right now, placed a hallucination of myself in your mind. You are probably in state of unconsciousness right now." She waited, for a brief, to allow this fact to sink in and then she noticed that her son was contemplating on speaking. But she proceeded anyway.

"I would only be materialized in your mind if you felt your life was in danger or your world was collapsing around you." She ended her explanation to allow her son to speak his mind, but instead observed that his expression had changed from confusion to gloom.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Lelouch, for a second there had hoped that this lady was….._"She is right. She is not real cause mom is…" _He couldn't finish his own line of thoughts and gazed at the dark floor with despondent eyes. _"This is all a dream then."_

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Marianne, after noting his dejection demeanor, pieced together some crucial information.

"I wasn't supposed to materialize in your mind unless you were in danger." Her words lifted his gaze back up to find hers downcast.

She continued. "I am not supposed to be here unless your life is threatened." Now her arms were shuddering.

"But…..but the fact that I'm here means that your life was in danger." Marianne's entire body was now trembling.

"Your life shouldn't be in danger." Lelouch sensed a menacing aura emitting from the shuddering figure

"BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY ON EARTH…" Her voice had suddenly become deep and hostile as dark blistering wind radiated from her to all directions except to the spot Lelouch stood.

Lelouch had widened his eyes, not to the sudden discharge of ominous wind, but to the apparent blue glow in her mother's eyes. Despite her gaze casted downwards and bangs obscuring her face, the blue tints from her eyes illuminated well enough to be spotted in this dark oblivion.

"Because there is no way I would let that happen to you." Her tone returned to normal cueing the wind to die down and to subsequently disappear. She lifted her head to meet his stunned gaze; no signs of the bluish glow but her irises still displayed their indigo tinge as always.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

She looked depressingly at her son and asked, "So how did it happened?"

Lelouch understood her inquiry but felt a sting in his heart in thinking of a response.

"You were…." He looked away to avoid witnessing her reaction. "….attacked in your villa."

"Do you know who did it?"

"No." He stated, shutting his eyes to reflect on how much they failed her.

"We were investigating but Father…." His eyelids shot right up as he recalled his recent encounter. "Father decided to end the investigation." He furrowed his brow.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Marianne sighed. _"Charles, in the end you still…."_ She ended her thoughts to focus on her son.

"It's okay Lelouch. Don't let this bother you." Lelouch looked at her. "I'm sorry I let myself to be taken so easily." She balled her right hand into a fist and glared at the floor in disgust of her own weakness. "Because of my weakness, you are in dang…."

"No mom!" Lelouch interrupted which stunned Marianne. "No mom, don't say that you were weak. You were anything but weak."

He edged forward, clutching his chest. "Ever since you passed away, I've realized how much you've done for me."

Marianne waited silently for her son to continue. "You shielded me from the scrutiny of the world and from the wrath of father."

Marianne felt her gut wrenched. _"Does he know the truth?"_

"I don't know why father hates me, but…."

"_Okay he doesn't." _She felt relieved but didn't understand why.

"….but I've realized that he sees me as an abomination." Lelouch scowled from his recent recollections involving the Emperor.

Marianne noticed the dark mood her son was displaying so she intervened.

"It's alright son." She smiled at her son. "Don't let your father's actions get to you. You need to focus on your well-being, okay?"

Lelouch gawked at her bright smile for a while and then nodded to her.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

There was a moment of silence before…"You are not going to ask about what he has done?" Lelouch asked wondering if she knew the current events in the real world.

"Nope!" She, for the first time, moved her feet as she closed the distance between them.

"I don't need to know what he has done because I know what he plans to do." She stared down at her son, lovingly.

"Lelouch! You are the reason why I'm here." Her indigo irises transformed into something bluish.

"Mother! What are…." Lelouch muttered in shock.

"Lelouch, I don't have much time so listen to me carefully." She gazed at him with such urgency in her bluish eyes.

"Son, your father is trying to kill you."

* * *

**A/N: **

**Characters that I plan to axe: Voting is still open.**

[**Yin**: From Darker than Black]

[**Misaki Kirihara**: From Darker than Black]

[**V.V.**: From Code Geass]

If you can't vote, then tell me your choices from the comment section.

Thanks for the reviews!


	5. Chapter 5: CG Arc: Judgment Part 3

**A/N:**

**Me**: I'm baaack. Did anyone miss me?

**Readers**: Oh! You were gone? Hm, we didn't even notice.

**Me**: What? :'( How could you say that?

**Story**: Just tell them what I'm about already.

**Me**: You ungrateful son of mmmmm…..

**Story**: Heeeeyy, we don't have to go there. Sorry **Readers**. This guy had a tough month with exams and all.

**Me**: Hey, stop blocking my mouth mmmmm….

**Story**: Not gonna happen. Anyway, I'm going to be a very long chapter; to make up for the short chapter 4. Plus this will be predominantly history orientated. So **Read**, **Enjoy**, **Review**, and **Vote**. Oh and **Me** here wanted to thank you **Readers** for voting.

**Readers**: No problem **Story**. And tell** Me **to chill out.

**Story**: Oh and one last thing. There are new words in me. The ones with weird pronunciation are:

"Reyes" Pronounced [Rai-yes]

"Akari" Pronounced [Ah-kah-ree]

"Fintan" Pronounced [F-in-tan]

"Arangan" Pronounced [Ah-rain-gun]

"Kasai Yaku" Pronounced [Kah-sah-e Yah-ku] _The first one is Japanese._

**Story: **Anyway, I don't own Code Geass, and I apologize for any grammatical errors in this one. [**Me** will fix them as soon as they are noticed.] Thanks **Readers** for the reviews so far.

**Readers:** You're welcome.

**Me: **Wait, tell them to check the bottom for crucial A/N.

* * *

Chapter 5: Judgment Part 3

**UNTOLD HISTORY**

**November 11th, 2009; Morning**

Inside a dim cellar in an unknown underground location, a disgraced former prince leaned his back against the cold brick walls that formed his cell. Sitting beside him was some liquid to stay hydrated and across from him, a candle to erase some of the darkness that surrounded him.

Lelouch had woken up from his slumber to find himself in the brick imprisonment where he sat now. Besides the throbbing pain he felt from the new bump at the back of his neck, there was nothing different about him. Of course the short sleeve jumpsuit that he worn could count as different.

He lounged against the wall with his left knee bent up to his chest and watched the orange flame dine on the candle, slowly. This miniscule fire was the only thing that seemed excited in this dispiriting chamber as it flicked itself, animatedly, on top of its wax member.

Lelouch was one with his thoughts despite his eyes fixated on his tiny fiery companion. How long has he been in here? With no natural light to discern from, solving this conundrum would only result in migraines for his already throbbing skull. His candle mate could shed some clues but without the knowledge of its initial height to make a comparison to, it was pointless in using it.

"Huh!" He sighed in surrender. Why was he trying so hard? Did it matter if he knew how long he's been in here? It wasn't like he was going anywhere. What he needed to know was his father's plans for him?

And if it wasn't for his mother, he never would have known that father always had intended to…..

* * *

**Long Flashback: Dreams**

"WHAT!" Lelouch yelled out his shock.

"What?...what do you mean 'trying to kill'?...why?" He flooded his mother with questions; who had her eyes closed. Her facial expression lacked any muscle tensions as her lips remained neutral. She displayed a sense of peace and calm while listening to the distraught reaction emanating from her son.

Lelouch's emotional upheaval was completely warranted, she thought. She just didn't know how portray her support. Was it wrong for her to unveil the lid? But Charles never changed. He never accepted their son and by the looks of it, was ready to sacrifice him.

"I know he doesn't' like me, but WHAAT?" Lelouch bellowed out.

/

"He wants to…to kill me?" He stammered his rhetorical question with a dull and weak voice as the realization that this might be—no most definitely—true was finally sinking in. It certainly would explain his father cold treatment towards him.

/

Lelouch's entire body was shuddering while he was unconsciously regarding his palms with stretched eyelids. As much as he wanted to deny his mother's declaration, his mind wasn't allowing it. Already, recollections involving his father resurfaced like air bubbles in water and his brain wasted no time in piecing together those tiny clues from their very brief and minute encounters: his father's body language towards him, the way he eyed him, his tone towards him, and much more.

/

"Why?" He whispered wanly, after everything finally made sense. His inaudible question was barely registered by his mother but was still enough to cause her heart to sink in.

"Lelouch!" She calmly silenced her child. She wanted his misery to cease for her sake also. The guilt was crushing her soul; the guilt of not being there for her son and the guilt of not fixing this when she had the chance.

While these thoughts coursed through her, another emotion re-materialized within; the feeling of disgust and hatred. She despised her husband for creating all this and neglecting their child, but mostly, she felt disgusted at her own weakness. If she was still alive, none of this would be…

Her previously tranquil facial muscles finally convulsed as she struggled within, in a bid to control her boiling anger once more. She couldn't lose it again. Lelouch didn't need that.

She battled within, but her victory over her emotions was evident when the tension on her face was no more.

/

"Lelouch, I don't have much time so just listen to me, okay?" She muttered her intentions after regulating her thoughts.

He nodded but with his eyebrows furrowed and mouth curved downwards, she knew that his distressed still lingered within him.

/

By now, Marianne bluish irises had reverted back to their original indigo hues. She needed to conserve her eyes—and powers—for the end.

Lelouch, caught up in his shock about his father's intention, decided to put on hold any inquiries he had about his mother's eyes and instead opted to hear her out.

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Marianne pinched the bridge of her nose. Her forehead furrowed as she pondered on where to begin. There was so much to inform her son.

"Lelouch…." She paused for moment. She really didn't want to do this but her son needed to know. He needed to know the truth—well, not all of them—but the ones pertaining to his existence.

"The moment you came into this world, you…..you destroyed a 300 year old balance that had being established between the major clans of the Fire Bloodline."

"I…..I what?" This sudden revelation replaced his distraught with a gawked expression since his eyebrows had rounded upwards with widened eyes.

/

"In order for you to understand what I'm saying, you need to know about the true power which governs our empire."

"The true power which governs Britannia?" Lelouch paraphrased with some anticipation. Was there a secret organization that ruled the nation?

"Yes! And how this power came to be." She stated.

"Honestly, I wanted to tell you about the history of clans and how they were formed in the first place, but maybe that's another topic for another time." She had cupped her chin while her arms were crossed below her mounds. She remained still for a while, brooding.

"Hmmm, maybe June can tell you about that instead. Ooooh! By the way, how is she?" Her voice had taken on a childish tone when she enthusiastically asked about her daughter.

/

Lelouch was taken aback by the sudden change in her demeanor. _"What the? Where did this come from? Didn't she just say that she didn't have enough time?" _

_"Why is she changing topics? It will only waste time…AH!" _

_"I see where this is going."_

Lelouch eyed her with a straight-face.

He had deduced his mother's game.

/

And then out nowhere, he erupted. "MOM!" He loudly chided her._ "It is just like her to deviate from something."_ A trait picked up from Mrs. Olivia.

She flinched backwards as if in pain and then hunched over with her back facing him like a child in tantrums.

Her sobs caused guilt to build up within Lelouch, especially since he was unsure whether he was hearing false tears or not with her back to him.

She then began to protest, tearfully. "I just….{sniff}….wanted to know…{sniff}….how she was doing."

"Huuuh!" He heaved air out of his lungs and messaged his forehead. Where had he seen this before? His thoughts wondered to Mrs. Olivia. He really wanted to accuse the hunched lady of faking it, but…

"She is fine." He replied to at least relieve her of any doubt, but there was a tinge of sorrow in his voice. There was no way for her to confirm that. She was never going to lay eyes on her daughter again.

/

"Really?" Marianne response yanked him from his thoughts, especially since she sounded very…...

"Wha…" Taking a step backwards, a slightly baffled Lelouch couldn't even complete his word. _"When did she get this close?"_

His mother, who was hunched over in a distance seconds ago, now stood right in front of him. _"How did she move that fast? Is it because this is a dream world?"_

And the lack of tear marks on her face. _"What? I thought she was…." _Lelouch knitted his eyebrows while his compressed lips curved downwards in discontent. _"Should have known that she was faking it." _

_/_

"So, how does she look?" Marianne shook her hands fervently like a child waiting for a gift. "Is she tall? Are her boobs bigger? What about her hair? Is it still long? Oooh, does she now have an interest in…you know…guys?"

Her sly grin caused Lelouch's right eye to twitch, venomously. A sign Marianne knew all too well; her cue that she had crossed the line.

/

"Ahem." Lady Marianne cleared her throat. "Now what was I saying?" Her playtime was now over. At least her little antics dispelled the bleak atmosphere surrounding her son, only to replace it with ire.

"Aha!" She slammed her fist into the palm of her hand like she had uncovered a mystery. "The secret ruling power stuff." She grinned sheepishly. Lelouch wasn't amused.

"Well, let's begin."

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"You know about Britannia's Civil War, right?"

"Yes." Lelouch's hoarse reply emphasized his displeasure from the early shenanigans, but he decided to put aside his indignation to advance the discussion at hand.

/

"It occurred in 1685 A.D. and ended 10 years later." Lelouch remembered his history all too well. "It all started when the nobles in Britannia's Canadian Province decided to secede from the Empire, essentially taking with them half of Britannia's land mass."

"Yes." Marianne interjected; satisfied that his son remembered the _wrong_ history. "The nobles, and most citizens, in the Canadian Province felt they were being governed unfairly. With the capital already located in Britannia's other province—the American Province—they felt a lack of representation in parliament." She paused to rest her tongue.

/

Despite being governed by a monarchy system, Britannia back then—and still today—had a parliament to preside on domestic issues. It was a 100 member seats; 50 from each of the two provinces: Canada and America. However, the times before the civil war—or the antebellum—the number of seats each province got was based on population. And considering that the American Province back then—and even still today—had the most population, it held the majority in parliament.

/

"So when the government started enacting some tough taxation laws, the citizens in Canada decided that 'enough was enough.'" She had her index finger raised like a scholar.

"Of course that's what it says in your history books." Now she winked at him.

"What?" Lelouch was confused. That was the history they've been drilled in since they first learned how to read. "What do you mean?"

"Lelouch, the Civil War wasn't about some nobles trying to breakaway; taking Canada with them." She contradicted his history knowledge. "No, no, no, no. It was truly a secret war between the major Fire Clans to determine who would get the crown." Now she spoke with a stern expression.

/

"You see when Queen Elizabeth III was forced to abdicate her throne in Great Britain in 1307 A.D. and retreat to the New World, the North American Continent, she didn't necessary abandoned the monarch system that she and others before her had governed Great Britain with." She locked her hands together behind her back and took a couple steps away from her son while she continued.

"She instead brought it to the new world. She established the Britannia Empire and re-usurped her authority as the Queen and as the 20th ruler of Britannia."

/

_"Huh! 20th ruler?"_

Lelouch knitted his eyebrows. There was something out of place with Marianne's last statement.

"Why the 20th? Why not claim to be the first ruler of this new country?" Lelouch inquired, now talking to Marianne's back.

/

With her eyes shut, she answered. "Because she was a fire manator who ruled on behalf of the Great Fintan Clan."

/

"Uh!"

Lelouch eyes widened. In shocked to learn that the Queen was a manator and that she was part of a clan, a clan he had never heard about.

/

"The Fintan Clan!" He rephrased this 'Great' clan's name.

"Yes." Marianne turned around to face her son. "Although Elizabeth held the power, this clan was the true ruler of Britannia. Their kin were the ones who ruled Great Britain until the revolution."

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"The Fintan Clan, huh!" Lelouch pondered out loud to himself. He knew so little about clans.

Marianne noticed his son interest in this clan, so she revealed more about it. "Lelouch, you don't know a lot about clans, but clans from the Fire Bloodline have one distinct feature that set them apart from one another." She closed the distance between them and then revealed the answer, softly. "The color of their flames."

"Huh, color?"

"Yes, color. When people started to form clans, they congregate based on the color of their flames." She really wanted to go into the history but reeled herself back. She needed to make this short and simple.

"For instance, in my clan, the Azar Clan," She raised her right hand. "…all of its members can produce blue flames." And then flash, the blue fiery spectacle was hovering above her right palm.

Lelouch's eyes widened while his mouth slightly opened. He was flabbergasted.

/

"Why the shock face? Haven't you seen this before?" Marianne questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not surprise about the blue flames. Of course I've seen them before." He extended his hand to the blue flames sitting on his mother's palm.

"I just didn't know that it was trait." He lowered both his head and hand.

He thought it was a unique skill invented solely by his mother, since she was the only he had witness such flames from. Everyone else trained in isolation; at least that's what he thought since they would reject his company whenever they were training. He, along with Nunnally and Mika, were the only ones who lacked the manipulation skills in the family. Even Euphie was a manator. _"Well, she is a year older than me."_

_/_

He beheld his palms, examining it for a while before a thought flashed into him. "But what happens if a descendent can't produce this colored flame?" That's right. He had witness June and Cornelia produce flames before, but unlike Marianne, they weren't bluish. They were the regular orange flames.

She averted her eyes with a downcast; her bangs concealing her eyes from her son. Why did she seem so uncomfortable with his question? "They would never be initiated into the clan."

"Initiated?"

"Lelouch we're getting off track." That was her way of dodging this unsettling subject.

Lelouch didn't press further. Besides he wasn't a manator so there was no reason for him to know this. But something wasn't right with his mother and he sensed it.

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She exhaled to clear out her mind. She always knew this would be difficult. "The Fintan Clan's flames were white and they were considerable the strongest clan in the Fire Lineage. And besides them, there were three other clans considered as powerful around that time; the Azar Clan being one of them." She allowed herself a moment before proceeding.

"Before this civil war began, the Azar Clan and another clan seeking the throne, the Reyes Clan, were slowly preparing. They amassed great wealth and people….."

"Wait!" Lelouch interrupted her. "Does this clan, the umm…Reyes Clan have a special flame too?"

Marianne sighed in slight frustration. "Yes. It's green."

"Green flames?"

"Yes Lelouch…..and oh son…." She had more to add. "Don't interrupt me again, okay?" She beamed a smile filled with dreadful intent.

"Okay!" Lelouch replied instantaneously after seeing a floating demonic head behind her. He did well to heed her warning. The recent absence of his mother had caused him to forget how scary she could get.

"Now where was I?" She tapped her skull. "Oh yeah!"

"So when parliament saw how the Canadian Province was increasingly getting wealthier, they, with the approving of the Emperor, passed some tough taxation laws on them. You have to realize that both the Azar Clan and the Reyes Clan were based in the Canada so every business and wealth they acquired, trickled down to the local populations." She replanted her feet, directing them towards her left side. Her whole body followed suit. She now gazed at the dark oblivion ahead.

"Anyway, the locals weren't too happy. And both clans used this as a stepping stone to generate more anger among the populations. With the increase taxes, states in the Canadian Province had to sacrifice their public subsidies, while at the same time both the Azar Clan and the Reyes Clan purposely rolled back their businesses and wealth to strangle the population even further." Marianne paused after she saw the glimpse of a raised limb.

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She sighed. "You know you don't have to raise your hand like this is a classroom."

"But…"

"I know. I know." She exhaled again but faced her son properly to clarify herself. "Lelouch, I don't have much time and we are getting too off track."

"Okay mom." His mother was right. Time was of the essence.

Had he forgotten that fabric of this world was weaved together by his brain waves? Of course not; everything here could be effaced at any moment if his fleshy-self was disturbed during his slumber. But what would become of his mother? Will her materialize form cease to exist in his mind?

Maybe that's why he kept interrupting. He wanted to keep this conversation going; this interaction alive for as long as possible. He wouldn't mind residing in here with his mother for the rest of his life. It would be much more preferable than having to see the Emperor's face again.

However, a part of him was truly scared to find what awaits him after all this.

"Huh!" He allowed more air to escape his lungs; a sign that he had succumbed to the reality and also that he had parted ways with his naivety and unrealistic thoughts. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, son." Marianne smiled wonderfully at her son, like she understood his intentions all along. "Just remember that there's a family waiting for you when you wake up."

"Family!" Lelouch mind was immediately flooded with memories of the people who had nudged a way into his heart. _"Cornelia is probably trying to calm a wailing Euphie right now." _He snickered during his reminiscing.

Marianne smiled herself after witnessing her son's suppressed laughter. Their gaze meet and they both held their grinning expression. Lady Marianne was thankful to Mrs. Olivia for becoming a guardian for her son.

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"Now what were you going to ask?" She wanted to resume her history lesson, after Lelouch's question was taken care of.

"Oh yeah." Lelouch truly had a genuine inquiry even though it was a time wasting tactic. "I wanted to know how both clans were able to control and own businesses."

"Lelouch, you will realize as you learn more about clans that the people who lead them are the same people we call _nobles _in our society_._ That was the case back then and it still is."

Lelouch soaked this in. The thought of aristocrats being leaders of clans really unnerved him.

"But…." His mother had more to add. "…the existence of clans is a secret affair. Regular people and the world are not supposed to know that they exist even though the existence of manipulators is common knowledge."

"Because of this…" she edged closer, lowering her body to level her face with the boy. "…clan members are advised—no engrained into their heads—to _never ever _reveal their clan's affiliation, especially to a normal human being." She straightened herself. "Trust me! Clans will go to the extent to keep themselves hidden." Marianne stated as she herself recalled some unpleasant recollections from her past.

Meanwhile…. _"Never ever, never ever, never ever, never ever….." _That single phrase rang through Lelouch's head repeatedly as memories of his recent summoning surfaced. The gravity of his actions on that day—a.k.a. his choice of clothing; wearing the Azar Clan's cape—hit him like an unexpected blow to the head. Sweat beads began to trickle down on his back as his throat dried up. _"That explains the stunned crowd."_

Marianne noticed this. "Son, are you alright?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Hehe!" He forced a tiny laughter; as if laughing will erase his past miscalculation.

Marianne didn't buy it, but she resisted the urge to pry any further. Besides she needed to move on.

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"So, when the citizens became agitated, little spots of violence—fueled secretly by the two clans—began to arise in different areas across the province; most of their victims were of course government officials. But when the military engaged a mob at a port and caused some casualties was when the civil war started."

"Ah! You mean the Vancouver Port Incident? Where protesters tried to block the tax collectors from disembarking their ships but were engaged and shot at by the soldiers assigned to protect the tax collectors."

"Yes! That's actually what happened. This incident marked the beginning of a war in which Canada fought against the Britannia Union or what some called the United States of America; since it was made up of the states in the American Province."

"So while militia men fought against union soldiers, the Azar and Reyes Clans were secretly fighting the Fintan Clan and the last remaining major clan, the Phoenix Clan." She glanced over to witness an anticipation look on her son. It pleaded her to keep going. "While most clans remained neutral, this clan—with their specialty of bright yellowish flames—was the Fintan Clan's only ally."

"However, towards the end of this secret war, the Phoenix Clan betrayed the Fintan Clan."

"They did? Why?"

"No one truly knows why. There are some rumors out there. One was that they grew frustrated with the Fintan Clan since they were doing most of the fighting and losing lots of members as a result. Another was that they cut a deal with both the Azar and the Reyes Clan that would see them get a stake in the throne. I think it was the combination of the two."

"Anyway, whatever it was, it led to the downfall of the Fintan Clan."

"Really? How?"

"The Phoenix Clan was truly embedded among the Fintan Clan so when the time came, they easily were able to dispatch unsuspecting members of the Fintan Clan." She chose her words carefully. Lelouch was still a kid. "It was dubbed the Bloody Week, in which in the span of four days, an off-guard Fintan Clan was virtually wiped out by the traitorous Phoenix Clan and by members from both the Azar and Reyes Clan who had infiltrated the Fintan Clan's bases around the Appalachian Mountains thanks to the Phoenix Clan." Her tone emphasized her displeasure with her own clan's past deeps.

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"At same time, in the capital, Pendragon, in Pennsylvania, the Emperor—King Eowyn II—was secretly held as a hostage by the three clans. He was captured by surprise by some of his advisers from the Phoenix Clan." More betrayals from the Phoenix Clan it seemed.

"This secret coup easily occurred unnoticed because the only brigade—a 5000 strong brigade—protecting the capital was filled with and headed by Phoenix Clan members. They silenced the few Fintan members among their rank and kept the capital under wraps."

"The Phoenix Clan was truly doing all the fighting, huh?" Lelouch slightly understood their cause.

"Over the centuries, the Fintan Clan had become very prideful and arrogant." Marianne felt no remorse for the powerful but haughty clan based on that comment.

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"With Pendragon lost to the three clans, the Emperor was forced to watch the massacre of his entire kin in the capital and then at the end, sign a peace treaty pardoning the crimes of the Separatists and unifying the two provinces." She gave herself a moment. She careful had avoided any graphic details.

"No one argued with the peace treaty especially since the war was at a stalemate. The Union generals at the time thought it was a safe move since there were signs that the western states in America were talking secession also." She paused to find an attentive listener.

"None of them questioned the state of their leader or their capital; especially considering that he had also dissolved parliament and his entire cabinet of advisers in that same treaty. In secret most of those government officials had either escape with their lives or had been killed by the three clans."

Lelouch was confused. He knew—from his_ false_ history knowledge—that a peace treaty was what prevented the break-up of the Empire, but why a peace treaty?

"Why didn't the clans force the emperor to sign a declaration of independence instead; essentially allowing Canada to secede….Ooohh!" He had an epiphany moment and answered his own question. "They didn't declare independence, because they wanted the crown and the whole Empire."

"Yes. With the emperor in their hands, everything was achieved."

There was one more misunderstanding.

"So what really happened to Emperor Eowyn II? It stated that he died of illness before he could implement the unification treaty." Lelouch probed again.

"Lelouch, you and I know that wasn't the case." Marianne respected her son's innocence, but she expected him to be matured enough to realize the only outcome.

"I thought so." Lelouch once again had answered his own inquiry.

"Before they disposed of him, he was forced to appoint a Viceroy who was really a member of the Azar Clan and it was this Viceroy who led the unification process."

While Lelouch absorbed this new knowledge, Marianne walked away slightly, leaving the backside of her white gown to face her son.

Lelouch watched as the regal figure raised her head to peer at the nothingness above them and then her tongue resumed.

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"With the empire united, everything went back to normal, publically. But secretly, there was one more issue at hand; the issue of the throne." She leveled her skull.

"First, the three clans all unanimously decided to let the Viceroy become the next Emperor." Lelouch saw her index finger raised again, but this time only the back of it.

"This of course is stated in your history books as the smooth transition the Emperor had prepared in his peace treaty in case of an emergency. But you now know that wasn't the case." She stated slyly while tilting her head slightly over her shoulder to gain a glance of her son.

Lelouch nodded with a serious frown. _"The Emperor was forced to pick the Viceroy and forced to sign that treaty which contained the clause to allow the Viceroy to assume the head of state position."_

Marianne returned her gaze back to the horizon. "Second and the most crucial part; all future emperors after the Viceroy would be chosen by a system the three clans had set up. This system was called…."

Lelouch swallowed his spit as the anticipation got to him.

Tilting her head along with her body, she partially faced her son and said, "The Kasai Yaku."

"_Kasai Yaku?" _Lelouch didn't utter a word to cause interruptions, but instead lowered his eyebrows much closer and pursed his lips to express his confusion.

Of course, his mother would explicate what this 'Kasai Yaku' was.

"Both the Azar and the Reyes Clans were keen to prevent another Fintan Clan scenario, so they agreed that the crown belonged to no clan. Instead it would be handed to the strongest, most capable fire manipulator decided by this _Kasai Yaku_."

Lelouch held his eagerness in check and hoped that his mother would clarify things. He didn't want to interrupt and cause her to summon that floating demon head again.

"And this Kasai Yaku was a survival contest in which representatives from the three clans would compete to become the next emperor. The specifics are not well known but this contest essentially involves spending a long duration in some hellish location and then towards the end, all the survivors would face each in battle in plain sight with the winner becoming the next emperor."

Lelouch blinked in quick succession and then raised a brow in a puzzled look. "So that's it? That's the Kasai Yaku? A death match is how our emperors are chosen? _Even father" _The last part was omitted.

"Yes. It may seem archaic, but when a nation prides itself as the king of jungle, of course you're going to have a system that rewards the strongest."

She lowered her head and gazed the floor with downcast eyes; even as her eyelids was almost covering them. "That's what your father believes in." Her weak and low voice highlighted her depressed state.

"Survival of the fittest huh?" Lelouch recited the mantra of their empire and his father. He bit his lower lip in disgust afterwards, while he was regarding the floor as well. He had no chance in this system, even before his title was renounced.

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The atmosphere was becoming too bleak so Marianne decided to press on.

"Any way, when it comes to the candidacy, each clan has a different way of selecting theirs, but what ends up happening is the children of prominent clan figures or even the heir of the sitting emperor are the ones picked." She proclaimed, while purposely avoiding her son's gaze.

"_WAIT! Does this mean that I might end up fighting my siblings? Wait a minute, what clan is father from?" _

Marianne had her back to him, to avoid witnessing his reaction. She resumed regardless.

"Over the years, what ended up happening was the Phoenix Clan, weak from the war, constantly lost out in this competition. They could never field strong manators to represent them. Two more other clans were allowed to join in: the Akari Clan; a very strong clan with regular orange flame manators, and the Rowtag Clan; a clan that specializes in red hot flames, but they both weren't able to achieve great success."

"So, with the Fintan Clan extinct and the others struggling, the contest just became a two-way competition between the Azar Clan and the Reyes….."

"WAIT! The Fintan Clan is extinct?" Lelouch surprised outburst interrupted his mother once more. "Ooops!" He covered his mouth; too late for that. "Sorry." He apologized to the frozen back of Marianne.

"I thought I had made it clear." She spoke but her body remained still from Lelouch point of view.

Lelouch lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry. WAIT!" Lelouch tone lighted up again. "You made it clear on what? About not interrupting you or the Fintan Clan?"

"Both." Her response was fast and harsh, so as her turn rate. She glared at the timid boy whose puppy eyes dispelled her bile instantaneous.

She sighed while soothing her temples. "Huh, that always gets me." The right side of Lelouch lips curled up upon hearing this.

"Okay if I wasn't clear." She ceased her soothing. "The Fintan Clan lost most of their members on that Bloody Week and the remaining few where hunted down after the war…. Now, there are no more manators who can produce the white flames." She added that one with a dejected tone.

Lelouch had a doleful expression on as he also felt some remorse for the now extinct clan.

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"Now then," Marianne was resuming. "Even though the Kasai Yaku had mostly become dominated by both the Azar Clan and the Reyes Clan, it was still the top priority for the other three remaining clans. All clans resulted to sabotaging and clandestine conflicts to disrupt their fellow clans' chances."

She gaze the floor with downcast eyes. "In fact there was a period where clans were struggling to produce male heirs since female members were predominantly the targets of these clandestine wars. They were occasionally poisoned or worse." She chuckled slightly with a derision tone as she recalled some unpleasant events from the past.

"Mom?" Lelouch whispered with concern. His mother's demeanor had turned dark.

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"Lelouch!" He jerked from the sudden mentioning of his name.

"This is where you come in." Her serious tone emphasized the importance of this.

"Huh?"

She neared her son, which earned a puzzled look from the boy.

"When you…when you were still in my womb, I was attacked and poisoned."

Lelouch jaws and eyes widened.

"You nearly died, so I had to give birth to you a month early." Marianne scowled and balled her hands again. Her fists trembled menacingly besides her sides. Memories of how close she lost her son had induced some rage within.

"The poison had more effect on you than we realized. Two months after you were born, we discovered that you lacked our clan's trait."

"The blue flames?"

"Yes, but that wouldn't be known until years later." She averted her gaze and fixed them at the dark horizon to her right; her black mane obscuring the only visible side of her face from her son. "There is another trait that all members of the Azar Clan possess." She paused for a moment and then slowly she turned her head back to her child, saying "the Arangan." She then unglued her eyelids to expose her bluish irises once more.

"Uh…is that….." Lelouch stammered speech was coupled with a bewildered look and a lower jaw that couldn't overcome gravity.

"Yes, our clan possesses this ocular vision. Elite….no, more powerful bloodlines within the clan have these blue irises while the regular bloodlines have red irises."

Lelouch continued his fixed stare. His mother's blue irises weren't the only thing unique about her eyes. Besides the black pupil at the center, there were five comma shaped dots or five tomoe—which were shaped like little circles with small curved tails; like a punctuation mark, the comma—evenly spaced around the pupil. They were much smaller than the pupil at the center but still visible.

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Marianne allowed Lelouch to soak in her eyes. She wanted to hear his inputs, which didn't take too long.

"So, I don't have this…Ara…Arangan?" Lelouch messaged his face, feeling the lower part of his bony socket that housed his right eye.

"Yes." Marianne closed her eyes in regret. "But you had something else instead."

"Huh!" This reinvigorated Lelouch's mood. _"Had?"_

"Yes, what you had was quite different." She looked up as if trying to spot a bird.

"At first, we feared that you won't make it since this power you had always drained out your energy. But then one day while we were keeping your temperature down, you were able to manipulate a bucket of water near you." She kept her gaze fixated upwards, away from the stunned boy below. "It was amazing." She had widened her eyes, fully exposing her blue irises. "The water wrapped around your body like a snake. We thought…..I thought you were going to drown, but then we noticed that you were just cooling yourself." She returned her gaze back down to her son, smiling at him while holding back the urge to caress his cheeks. She needed to avoid contact until the end.

"You were controlling the water to reduce your fever. Eventually this same power allowed you to survive."

Lelouch couldn't feel his jaws anymore, but his thoughts blurted out on their own. "I...I…..I was controlling water?"

"Not just water, we discovered that you had the ability to manipulate all the five main elements."

Lelouch gaped once more, causing his jaw to hang like an apple ready to detach from its branch.

It was not unheard for manipulators to be able to control another element besides their own. Those manators were sometimes dubbed dualist or dual-manators since two elements was the most anyone could manipulate without draining all of their energy.

However, controlling another element besides your own was very difficult to achieve and even the most an expert could accomplish was using the 'borrowed element' to supplement his 'natural element' to make it more powerful.

Fire manators were known to borrow air to fuel their flames.

Air manators were known to borrow water molecules to create new air molecules while the opposite—Water manators condensing or compressing air molecules to create liquid—was also possible.

Lightening and Earth manators however struggled to borrow other elements. However, these two bloodlines had joined together to form another bloodline, the Mineral Bloodline—a bloodline five centuries younger than the five primary elements. Manators from this bloodline were known for their ability to manipulate mineral ores found on earth. Their clans were divided among three families: sorcery manipulations, metallic manipulations, and magnetic manipulations. They remained the smallest bloodline in the world in terms of population.

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"Soon, however, word reached the other four major fire clans." She sneered a bit while recalling her fruitless efforts in trying to keep an infant Lelouch hidden from the world.

"_Four major clans? I guess she was referring to Reyes, Phoenix, Akari, and Rowtag." _Meanwhile, Lelouch was trying to imprint the names of the clans, which controlled their empire indirectly from the dark, into his memory.

"Once word reached them, they immediately demanded that we execute you." Her eyebrows slightly knitted as she tilted her head to her left, scowling at the floor.

"Wha?" Lelouch's lips, once they had apart themselves to profess his dismay, never joined back together; leaving his word incomplete as his mouth remained frozen.

"They claimed that we, the Azar Clan, had created a weapon to give ourselves an edge during the Kasai Yaku and because of that, had broken a solemn code of fairness and equal advantage; something established since the downfall of the Fintan Clan 300 years ago."

"But…." Lelouch was still traumatized. It seemed like everyone wanted his head.

"I know." Marianne wiped her head to the left again, causing her bangs to swirl in front of her bluish Arangan. "We tried to convince them that it was a birth defect….." She cursed herself deeply for calling her son a defect, mentally of course. "But they still feared you. They even threatened to go to war against us."

"Another war?" Lelouch throat dried up as he thought about a war started because of him.

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"Yes, but then I came up with a solution."

"You? What did you do?" He really wanted to know what his father was doing during all of this.

"That is why I'm here. To undo my actions" Marianne edged closer as her Arangan started to spin.

A swirl of wind began to encircle them. "Mom?" The boy swung his head and body in multiple directions as he observed the tornado slowly encroaching them. He slowly backed away towards the center where his mother stood.

"It's okay son." Marianne soothing reassurance paused his back pedaling but not his heartbeat. He slowly spun around to meet his mother's glowing bluish gaze.

"Wow!" Her radiant bluish eyes accentuated her beauty as Lelouch couldn't hold back his awe.

"Son," She beamed a tender smile at him. "I'm going to remove the seal I placed on your powers."

Lelouch eyes closed, deepening his furrowed eyebrows. He shook his head before saying, "What?"

"It was the only way to protect you. Even your father was planning to…." She rested her tongue and lowered her head with her eyes closed in shame.

Lelouch brows freed themselves from their furrowed state and raised themselves high enough; in conjunction with his widened eyes. "Is that why father wants to…" His jaws, tired from all those gaping, couldn't complete his words.

"Your powers and the fact that you lack our clan's ability are the reasons why your father never accepted you."

"But then why? Didn't you seal my powers? Why does he intend to kill me?"

Marianne, after watching her son with soft narrowed eyes, sealed her eyes and said, "Because he blames you for my death." She re-opened her eyes. "Charles never accepted you because you lacked our clan's powers, but he hated you for the fact that I loved you more than the throne, the Kasai Yaku….." She caressed his cheeks. "…..or probably him." She shined a radiating smile at him.

Lelouch widened eyes quivered as he felt the warmth of his mother's hand on his cheek. "Why can you touch me now?"

"Because I've gathered all the power in this world in me, which explains the wind." She winked and slightly stuck her tongue out in a silly expression.

Once her silly expression was removed, she continued. "The power that I was using to hold this place together is now in me. That's the warmth that you feel."

Lelouch closed his eyes as he savored her soothing contact.

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And then she broke his thoughts. "It's time son." Lelouch, snapped back to reality, flinched immediately after he noticed how close the violently wind was to them.

"Son, I'm going to remove the seal on your powers, but promise me…." She still held his cheek. "Promise me that you won't use it that much." Her other free hand touched his other cheek. "It severely damaged your eyes every time you used it." She closed her eyes once more; her eyebrows furrowed deeply as she seemed to be pondering on something.

She then continued. "A lightning clan called the Susanoo has in their possession a treasure trove of Fintan Clan's documents and books. This clan is based in two locations: here and Japan. The Fintan Clan knew a lot more about your power or something similar, so I'm sure the Susanoo Clan has something on it to, BUT…." She suddenly re-opened her eyes again and gazed at her son with a stern look. "…..please promise that you will learn more about your powers before you use them."

"Okay." Lelouch had struggled to free his jaws, but he was able to reply.

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Marianne then grabbed the back of his head with one hand and then, using her other free hand, placed her thumb on his forehead, right between his eyes.

It was time and Lelouch sensed it. He had one more question. "What's going to happen to you?"

Marianne smiled but her eyebrows drooped slightly. It caused her smile to contain a tinge of sadness. Lelouch saw a tear drop sliding down on her cheek and then he felt a surge of energy. His head propped back a bit as his vision became unfocused. Tears started to swell underneath his eyes. "No!" He tried yelling but only a soft resistant escaped his lips.

"Your eyes are also called the Arangan, but they will slightly look different." Lelouch heard his mother's voice but he struggled to gain a visual of her.

"I love you son."

Everything went blank afterwards.

**Long Flashback Ends**

* * *

**Present: Back In the Cell**

Lelouch gazed at his tiny friend who was too focused on consuming his wax partner.

Lelouch felt different; much more serene and composed. His sensors were very acute. He could feel the heat emanating from his tiny compadre and track the motion of the air that circulated around his cell. The walls were stiff, but he could feel all the materials within it. His cell was built to house all manators except an earth one, he had concluded. Not even a lightning fellow could escape here since there were no electrical wires running through his cell walls. He noticed the tiny camera plugged within the wall right above his candle buddy, but there were no wires connecting to it to possible stream the captured data.

"_It's probably being transmitted wirelessly." _He had deduced while he maintained his sitting posture and fixed gazed at the tiny fire.

"_Mother." _His recollections involving that dream were still vivid. His eyebrows lowered slightly as his gaze became downcast. He wondered whether she was gone forever. Her last words still rang through his heart and mind. He had so much to ask, but he had no choice but to work with what he got.

"_Because he blames you for my death." _Another one of his mother's words that rang through his head. _"Does it mean that father knows who killed mom?"_

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"Princess, he's right up ahead."

His ears picked up a voice, so he laid one of his palms—the one hidden from the camera's view by his bent up left knee—to the floor to feel the vibrations more accurately. _"Hm, two, three, no four people?" _

The door, blocking the hallway, opened; signaling the hallway lights, it seemed, to burn the darkness away.

"He is in the second cell to your left, princess." This princess marched forward elegantly ahead of the three guards and then…. "Lelouch." June's voice disrupted his observation for the first time. He lifted his head to confirm the owner of the voice with his eyes.

"June?" He replied in a puzzled tone. June bended her knees down as she peered at her brother through the large glass cell door that sealed him in this demoralizing chamber.

"Princess, you shouldn't get close to the prisoner." A guardsman offered his worried but baseless advice.

"_Prisoner?" _June was more pissed than ever. If she was just like her mother, she would've torched them this instance, but she was a master of disguise. She concealed her boiling rage with a courteous voice. "Thank you, but I will be fine. He's my brother after all." She faced the three grownups while still kneeing. Her red lips had curved upwards while her lower eyelid pushed up slightly. The guardsmen were captivated with her tender smile with the youngest showing some redness on his cheeks.

"Hm!" Lelouch smirked while he returned his gaze back to the candle, but with the lights from the hallway on, his little friend's illumination was outclassed.

"Okay. We will be posted right behind the door." The oldest among the group reassured their princess.

June returned her focus back to her brother once her eyes saw the back of the door.

"No wonder they call you the female Schneizel." Lelouch sarcastically praised her sister's acting skills.

"That's not funny." June nonchalantly replied.

"I wasn't joking." Lelouch replied indifferently.

"But it's good to know that you can still crack some jokes." June replied mockingly with her head raised a bit and her eyes closed. It sounded as if Lelouch's words had flown over her ears.

Lelouch slightly lowered his eyebrows while his lips curved downward in annoyance. But he still maintained his sitting posture—back to wall with his left knee bent up towards his chest—and kept his gaze at the candle across from him.

"I'm really glad that you are okay." Her words broke his posture and gaze. He turned his head to his right to face a sincere tender smile from June.

Lelouch smiled back but returned to his earlier posture. But now, however, he was observing different things in his cell besides the candle. "How is everyone?"

"All worried about you. Euphie won't stop crying."

"Typical." Lelouch smiled while he viewed his ceiling.

"She occasionally blames her mother, Cornelia, and me for putting you up this."

"What? Attending the summoning?" Lelouch placed his vision on his sister. "It was unavoidable." He shrugged his shoulders while closing his eyes.

"Speaking of the summoning, why did you do that?" June's tone rose along with her eyebrows. "Do you know how foolish that was? Wearing the Azar Clan's symbol was tantamount to revealing someone's clan identity." She berated her brother.

"Hey. No one ever told me anything about clans." Lelouch straight-face nonchalant reply caused her sister to face-palm herself.

"You all pushed me away whenever you went training." He sounded in pain. June removed her palm to find Lelouch's eyes locked on the candle once more and thus away from her direction.

"Lelouch, I…" She bit her lower lip. She couldn't reveal clan information to her brother, especially not under surveillance like this. Plus he wasn't initiated. He wasn't even a manator to begin with.

Before she could mutter anything else, an alarm rang out, with the sound emanating from her pocket.

"Tsk." _"It's time already?" _She removed her focus away from her pocket, which housed the tiny watch, and then placed her gaze back on her brother who was watching her with a skeptical expression.

"Lelouch, I came to warn to stop antagonizing father."

Lelouch frowned after hearing that. _"Me? Antagonizing him?"_

"I know it will be hard for you but just focus on asking for forgiveness." And then the cranking sound of the hallway door opening caused her head to tilt, in reaction, to face it.

She returned her vision back to the subject of her visit. "Dad plans to trial you. Just beg for forgiveness when it happens. Please Lelouch, just think about your survival, okay?" Her eyelids narrowed her eyes as she pleaded with her brother.

"Princess, it's time." Her three escorts were here to pick her up. The black hair princess meanwhile was locked in gaze with her prince. And then after a few seconds, she broke the engagement and raised herself above the prisoner. She said no more and left the scene. The last thing Lelouch heard was the sound of the hallway door shutting. Then the darkness returned.

* * *

**A/N**:

**Me**: That **Story** almost killed me. I couldn't breathe for a while. Anyway based on the voting, it seems like V.V has an axe with his name written all over it. Unless a miracle happens, I plan to do away with him. The question now is how?

I was thinking of two things:

**Kill him off in a chapter** or **Don't even show his face.**

Let me know which you prefer. I will put up a vote on this.


	6. Chapter 6: CG Arc: Judgment Part 4

**A/N: **

**I don't own Code Geass.**

**P.S. I strongly don't want kids reading this fan-fiction. It's rated M for a reason and will become very dark in future chapters. Sexual situations will be included.**

So enjoy and I will fix any grammar errors as I see them. **Thanks for the reviews.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Judgment Part 4

**SELF DISCOVERY**

**November 12th, 2009**

A subtle cry from Lelouch's gut ripped through the silence in his prison cave. Blood rushed to his cheeks; eyelids stretched in disbelief.

He clutched his belly, examining it through his rubbing. This was his first...the first he felt deprived of nutrients.

/

More vocals roared from his digestive organ.

His cheeks flushed in more embarrassment once more. His mouth joined his widened eyes as he gaped in shock. His body had become unpredictable, unruly, and undernourished.

He bowed in shame…..in humiliation. He stared at his abdomen and couldn't deny it. This discarded prince was hungry.

/

Memories of his last meal—chocolate chip pancakes plastered with syrup—flooded his thoughts, earning more grumbling from his stomach.

/

Shame filled his cheeks once more. His gut was too noisy. Folding his legs, he gripped his belly, trying to squeeze the hunger shut. But sensed his inner organ gorging on itself.

_"Uh…it hurts"_

/

{Grrrrrrrrrrrr} He cringed from the loud cry.

"To think my stomach would be growling for food. _How disgraceful." _He kept the rest under his tongue.

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Time flew by and he assumed a fetal position; hiding his dishonor behind the clout of darkness.

His abode was dimly lit; shadows casted by his dwindling candle stick concealed all away from it. Any prying eyes would struggle spotting the child, wallowing in his head cradling seating.

Lelouch felt empty and it was a new experience. This kind of emptiness….the one he thought never existed. His needs and whims had always been fulfilled, but now he was left to lay waste in this dark, dispiriting chamber.

/

Was this a form of punishment from his father? Keeping him unfed? Was that why he spoke of the homeless children in their country? Only to mock his own son with the same treatment he had announced to eradicate. How hypocritical.

"_But I did reject him as being my father?" _Lelouch debated with his conscience.

How could he judge his father when he had renounced his parental role in front of the world; the world that had gathered at the Grand Hall on that fateful day?

He remembered vividly the way he had rejected him; the way he had refuted Charles' declaration that _he was his father._

_["No, you're not."]_. He had yelled back in rebut to his father's declaration.

A sting of guilt pierced his heart from that specific recollection. He coiled his arms tighter around his head and knees.

_["No, you're not…No, you're not."] _His words replayed in his head like a broken record.

"Heh-heh, my emotions really got to me on that occasion." He brushed away his guilt with a sarcastic chuckle.

/

Perhaps that's why he was been kept in this slum. His words might have wrong him.

"_But father never made it easier; never made it easier for me to know him."_

"He always displayed hatred." He hissed.

"_And now wants me dead." _He scowled at the dark floor beneath his bowed head.

"_Even if I had chosen different answers on that day, I was destined to end up here."_

"_Father wanted this to happen."_ He paused to double check his accusation before resuming.

"_He always wanted this to happen." _He accused his father with a fiery belief.

His mother's account of their past had swayed him over, completely.

Now filled with the knowledge of his past and the true history of their Empire, he somewhat understood the motive behind his father's unethical behavior; to preserve the balance within the Fire Bloodline by killing his son because of his presumably cursed powers.

/

"_I didn't know back then." _He thought about the 'what ifs and what not' and how things would have certainly ended differently if he had at least known something, something relevant to his past.

"_I wouldn't have fallen into his trap so easily if I had known." _He referred to his actions during the summoning.

"_I never would have allowed him to get into my head, to enrage me."_

_/_

"And now I'm here." He solemnly declared.

/

He puffed air out his lungs._ "So now what?" _

His belly broke his conscience with deafening roar.

/

He flinched and peered at his abdomen with rage.

"_Can I get break here, huh? Can you stop interrupting me when I'm thinking?" _He mentally questioned his hungry gut.

His gut replied with another thundering roar. {GRRRRRR}.

He blushed in fury. His temple pulsated like a heartbeat. He gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"_Torturing me with starvation? It will take more than that to break….."_

_/_

{THUMP, THUMP, THUMP}

His heart jumped a beat. He raised his head from his fetal position to gaze at the intruder or intruders.

"_When did they?" _He widened his eyes at the intruders.

"It's time for your meal." A bulky man wearing dark green military camo-uniform declared. Behind him, another military clad officer stood there, holding a tray.

/

Lelouch calmed his throbbing heart and narrowed his eyes at the two men.

He unwrapped his arms and straightened his legs; freeing himself from the fetal position.

"_Those aren't Royal Guards uniforms."_

_/_

The bulky man reached for his back pocket and brought out a card or some sort. He then began to walk out of Lelouch's view to a three feet metallic pole behind his glass cell gate. A keypad was on top of this pole.

Lelouch's senses heightened. His brow furrowed as his eyes squinted.

"_Where is he going?"_ His eyes tracked the man as he walked to the right side of his cell and then out of his view entirely.

And then {Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep….}

Lelouch ears prickled. A serious expression etched to his face.

Still lounging against the wall and glancing down at his glass cell gate, he watched the right corner wall that muffled the source of those beeps with his peripheral vision.

/

Resting his palms on the floor, he focused through the ground floor to sense where this keypad was. Instead, he discovered a cylindrical hole bored into the ground, right outside his cell. He sensed the object that bored this cylindrical hole to be quite heavy,but he couldn't detect its composition.

"_Is it encased in metal or glass?"_

_/_

He tried harder. Keeping his movement and breathing still, he focused more and more through his palms.

But still, his actions produced no result. He couldn't sense anything about this metallic pole.

"_Tsk." _He ceased his effort, releasing his palms from the ground.

/

"_Why can't I sense this metallic object?" _

He touched his belly.

"_Is it because I'm just too hungry to exhaust even a tiny amount of energy?"_

_/_

Meanwhile, the other officer—the junior of the two and thus charged with carrying the inmate's meal—was wondering why they needed this secure prison cell for the ex-prince; especially one that was meant to hold manators. _"The kid can't even manipulate anything. Why did they order us to put him here?"_

Before he continued his thoughts, his senior comrade stepped into view. He was done unlocking a dog-size glass opener that was to be used to transfer items into the cell.

The young officer then moved to the left portion of Lelouch's cell. He lowered himself to his knees and then slid open a dog-size glass door that was slotted at the bottom left part of the glass cell gate.

/

Lelouch lowered his guard and relaxed his shoulders.

Reclining his back coolly against the wall, he watched the young officer reach in to grab the waxed covered plate that hosted the shrinking candle.

Conveniently, the wax stick had been placed near this dog-size door, so retrieving it wasn't challenging.

After removing the waxed plate from the cell, the young officer paused to eye the vanishing candlewax.

"_This candle would have been a gift to any fire manator, but here we are, giving one to the kid."_

"_Hm!" _He sneered at the candle._ "We are wasting time and resource watching over this kid like he's some high risk convict."_

He handed the candle plate to his partner. Then he slid a tray of food through the dog-size opening.

/

Despite eying his tray with anticipation, Lelouch decided to remain still and observe the actions of the officers. The younger one's behavior intrigued him. _"What's up with him?"_

He watched them replaced the dwindling candle stick with a new and taller one.

They lit this candle up after planting it on the waxed covered plate.

The young officer then delicately slid the plate with the new candle standing on it through the opener, resting it next to the tray of food after using it to slightly nudge the tray further deep into the cell.

He then withdrew his hand and securely locked the opener. He nodded to his bulky partner who went over to that metallic pole to press some buttons on that keypad.

After the keypad made a prolong beep sound, the two men left the prince to his meal and locked the hallway door which cued the hallway lights to vanish.

/

Silence once again filled his cell. Once in a while, a cracking sound was made by the tiny flame that gorged on the new wax stick.

The prince stared at his tray filled breakfast—or lunch since he had no sense of time—which sat across from him at the other end of his cell.

What was he waiting for?

"_Have they drugged it?"_

{GRRRRR}

Startled, he blushed with a shock look. He curled himself; crossing his legs, and then he clutched his belly. After giving his abdomen a long and fuming glare, he sighed in surrender.

His gut was just tired of waiting and had enough of this deliberation. Food was sitting right there. It was time to eat, not time to ponder.

He unfolded his leg and went to the tray.

After plopping down next it to, he examined the mash potato, bread, and the salad which obscured some white rice beneath. The warm vapor from his tray coaxed his nostrils.

/

Reluctantly, he caved in to his physiological drive and lunged in, going straight for the fried chicken first.

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A few minutes later and Lelouch was nearly done with the salad mixed with rice. His bread and chicken were already gone; the mash potato, untouched.

He faced the camera with his back while he ate his remaining salad—mixed with rice—with patience. After initially gorging uncontrollably like a ravenous beast, he decided to reign in some delicacy and finish his tray with proper manners.

Now that his belly was somewhat satisfied, he had the peace of mind to think.

/

"_I hate this! I hate having to eat like this. And they call this junk a meal?" _He eyed his tray with distaste. His taste buds remembered that fried chicken and how some parts were still moist with chicken blood. _"I need to get out of here."_

He filled his fork with some white rice mixed with corn and then…{Munch, munch, munch} Smashing together the saliva covered rice and corn with his stained teeth.

{Gulp} He swallowed the mashed mess whole.

"_But how?" _

_/_

"_Should I break out using my new untested powers or should I go along with this 'trial' that father plans to put me through?"_

_/_

He held his folk, gazing through it.

/

_["Dad plans to trial you. Just beg for forgiveness when it happens. Please Lelouch…."]_

June's final words replayed in his thoughts. The sorrow look she had when she pleaded to him was still fresh in his head. It had to be. Only a few hours had passed since her visit.

But her words had offended Lelouch.

His blood was warming up. He glared through the eating utensil with bubbling irate.

"Me? Beg? Beg him after everything…" He froze his raging tongue after remembering the existence of a camera in his cell.

"_I would rather die trying to escape than beg after everything he has done."_

_["Please promise that you will learn more about your powers before you use them."] _Marianne's voice calmly interrupted his fuming mind.

"UH!" Lelouch flinched and broke his gaze with the fork.

He looked past his fork with a gawked mouth and expanded eyelids.

_["Promise me….promise me that you won't use it that much."] _His mother spoke to him once more.

/

His boiling blood cooled. His heartbeat toned down. He relaxed his stretched eyelids somewhat after his stunned expression had disappeared.

He sat there, frozen by the promise he was forced to make to his mother.

/

Now gazing at his slightly dimmed roof, he lowered his fork unconsciously, letting go of the plastic utensil when it was close enough to the salad.

"_Without my powers, escaping would be challenging." _

It was already challenging even with his powers.

Resting his eyelids by closing his eyes, he calmed his stormy mind.

"_I will go along with this 'trail'."_

"_I will play along with your games, father." _He proclaimed confidently, sounded as if he had a choice in this matter.

/

Even so, he wasn't going to risk trying to break out. Failure from it could be damning and quite possibly fatal, _"but….."_

He turned his head around, looking at the right side of his cell door with deep trenches on his forehead.

"_If I could just access that keypad, then…" _He stopped himself, remembering his failed attempts from trying to sense the mysterious cylindrical pole outside his cell. This object housed a keypad that was his ticket out of this dump. If he was able to just establish a connection to that keypad through the pole, then….

"_No!" _He averted his eyes back to his tray.

"_I need to free myself from all this mess without my powers." _He wasn't about to break his promise to his mother.

He sighed, shutting his eyes to release the tension. _"Besides if father discovers my reawakened powers, it will be the end of me."_

_/_

Then he remembered his mother.

He remembered how she had always been there for him, there to shield him from the cruel world that surrounded him.

He remembered her fading image as her world started to vanishing from his subconscious.

A shower of depression rained down on his soul.

He regarded his tray with downcast eyes.

"_Mom isn't here to protect me anymore, so I can't let my secret to be exposed."_

_/_

"_I won't break her promise, no matter what."_

_/_

Balling his hand into a fist as a sign of his determination, he declared his resolute stance.

"_I will stay and face this trail." _

"_I will face whatever obstacle you have planned against me, father, and still come out alive."_

Grabbing his fork, he stabbed through a broccoli to release his pent up frustration.

"_I will bet on the chance that nothing horrendous will happen to me while here."_

"_Besides, June came here."_

He lifted the hooked broccoli with his fork, bringing it to his eye level.

"_That means my family knows where I am. They know that I'm in good health." _

He scrutinized his broccoli with squinted vision, twirling it around to inspect all sides. _"Father, you can't do anything to me while I'm here. I am safe….for the moment." _Opening wide, he pushed the broccoli inside.

/

Immediately after the greenish plant touched his tongue, he flinched with widened eyes.

"_It's cold."_

He grimaced in disgust while chewing his broccoli.

/

"Great! Now the food is too cold." He uttered after the broccoli had slithered down his throat.

That sentence also meant he was done with his meal since cold meals and his mouth never got along.

/

Lifting a water bottle nearby, he washed away the aftertaste of his meal and swallowed everything.

Releasing the tip from his lips for a breather, he gazed at the water as it slushed around within the bottle.

"_But I need to prepare myself."_

"_I need to learn more about my powers while I'm here, sitting and waiting for this trail to begin."_

Placing the bottle back, he gazed at his meal with a serious demeanor.

"_I don't know what this trial will be about, so I won't waste time thinking about it."_

_/_

He gazed at his right palm with the same demeanor. _"Instead, I will use the time I have to learn more about myself."_

* * *

**Elsewhere; Olivia's Villa**

"So how was he?" Olivia's words interrupted June and her attempt to take a sip of her coffee.

/

Without taking a sip, she set the mug back down on the dining table.

/

Holding a downcast gaze at the swirling tannish liquid, she replied.

"He was doing okay."

/

Olivia said no more. June's dejected expression spoke abundantly to her.

Taking a seat near the 13 year old, she flicked June's forehead with her hand.

/

A slight pain shot through June's head. She grimaced.

Startled, she gazed at the fuchsia hair woman with raised eyebrows formed by her broadened eyes.

"Oww?" More like a question than a cry in pain.

/

"You said he's fine right, so why the down face?"

Her inquiry caused June to gaze at her coffee with another depressed expression. Just thinking about Lelouch was enough to dampen her mood.

/

Olivia, sensing her mood, decided to cease her probing.

"Hey, where is Cornelia by the way?" She changed topics.

/

"Hm?" June flinched with enlarged eyeballs.

Olivia's simple question had done enough to break her cycle of depression.

She looked at Olivia with one eyebrow raised.

"She's not here?"

"No" June's surprised face made Olivia worried, a tad bit.

/

"Lady Cornelia left early this morning." A familiar flat voice answered.

/

"Mm?" A startled Olivia elicited a hum. Likewise, June was startled.

Both, with wide gazes, turned their heads to the intruder who stood at the pathway that joined the dining room to the kitchen. The stealthy intruder was holding a tray of meal.

/

"She claimed she had a meeting with an acquaintance, so she departed early this morning." Miss Kaniz revealed indifferently as she walked into the dinning room.

"What?" Olivia was somewhat surprised. "Was it related to the Royal Guards?"

"Not that I'm aware of." The impudent servant/guardswoman gave a nonchalant reply.

Not heeding to the casual nature of Kaniz, Lady Olivia immediately conjured up a reason for her daughter's absence.

/

"UH!" A spark flashed in one of Olivia's narrowed eyes. "Could it be?"

Slowly, a broad grin joined her squinted gaze, giving her mischievous look.

"She probably had a date." She chuckled, concealing her mouth in the process.

/

Miss Kaniz stared at her giggling boss with a straight-face. Her boss' breakfast tray was still in her hand.

To her, the thought of Cornelia going on a date was just too foolish and far-fetched.

/

The second princess had joined the Royal Guards academy when she was 10, just 10. And now she was not only one of the few female commanders in the elite Guard Corp, but she was also the second youngest, at the age of 15, to hold such a ranking, second only to the late Marianne. Cornelia held more backbone than almost all of her brothers and was equally as beautiful as her sisters.

There were two things that she despised the most: Being pampered like her female peers—reason why she never allowed Olivia to touch her mane—and courtship.

Marriage was her enemy. She believed that getting married will lead to the surrendering of her freedom and power; one of the things she treasured in life. As such male nobles that made any advances towards her would always abandon their love quest with a bruise body part.

/

"_For someone like that to be suddenly interested in boys and going on a date is just too absurd and….._Huuhhh!" Kaniz ended her thoughts with an audible sigh. Her skull throbbed from thinking about how wrong Olivia was about her own daughter.

"Before you two begin to speculate, let me remind you that I specifically said 'acquaintance' not a boyfriend." Miss Kaniz placed great emphasis on the quoted word.

/

"Well then," Olivia, resting her cheek on her palm, beamed a sly smile to Kaniz. "Did she specifically say 'acquaintance'?" Mrs. Olivia calmly asked.

Miss Kaniz expression morphed into a puzzling gaze. She was unsure where this was going.

"Yes." She replied, sounding skeptical.

"Then that proves it."

"Proves what?" Kaniz retorted, giving her master a suspicious look.

"Cornelia never uses the word friend or acquaintance to describe anyone. If she's using that word now, it can only mean one thing…" Still holding her shrewd smile, she closed her eyes, revealing her thick eyelashes.

"What?" June asked with a serious tone. Olivia had a point. Even she was never referred to as a friend or acquaintance despite spending the most time with her out of practically everyone.

/

"She has a boy of interest." The soft-spoken answer from Olivia was very much heard by the two.

/

Silence filled the atmosphere.

/

Miss Kaniz stood mutely, watching the head of the house with a twitchy eye.

Her rising blood pressure couldn't handle this stupidity. "I'm done. You two believe whatever you want to believe." She left the premise after placing her master's breakfast on the dining table.

/

"Uh!" June gasped. A recent memory had resurfaced in her mind. "Now that you mention it, she looked all casual this morning." June was adding fuel to the scandalous assertions. She remembered Euphie's quotes. _["Always look casual when you have a date."]_

"She did?"

"Yeah, she even had ponytail."

/

"AHH!" Olivia gasped in horror.

She trembled. Slowly, she held out her shaky hands like she was pushing against gravity.

Her fingers twitched uncontrollable like a mad scientist.

"AND SHE DIDN'T LET ME DO IT FOR HER?" She screamed out her terror. Her unladylike daughter had fixed her hair. The same hair that she had always wanted to at least touch and maybe fix…

/

Ignoring Ms. Olivia's horrors, June resumed. "At first, I thought she was joining me to visit Lelouch, but she said she had somewhere else to go." June cupped her chin, pondering on the activities of her senior sister.

"Now that I think about this, how did she know about the trial father was planning to put Lelouch in?" She freed her chin and directed her question to Ms. Olivia who was awakened from her wallowing state by that question.

Olivia gave the teenager a stern look. Her brows furrowed while her pink lips curved downwards. That question was very legitimate. How did her daughter learn of the trial?

/

After Cornelia had revealed this information to the two of them, she immediately confronted Charles and demanded to know what he planned to do with Lelouch. Charles ultimately caved in to her persistence and revealed his eventual plans to trial his son. She of course acted out in shock to conceal the fact that she already had knowledge of this fact from her own daughter.

Charles revealed no more about this trial, not even about what it would revolve around.

/

"Okay now I'm really interested in whom she is meeting with." Olivia stated in a grave tone. Her childish demeanor was replaced by an air of matureness.

June nodded back. She was equally interested. She recently had been excommunicated by her father. Charles was no longer revealing anything to her since her mother's funeral. He wasn't even calling and she wasn't allowed to meet him. Was it because she was too close to Lelouch?

/

"Oooooh, breakfast!" The jubilant voice of Mika interrupted the two. Stealing a seat, she immediately grabbed a cinnamon toast from the tray Miss Kaniz had left on the dining table.

"Uh! AAAAAHHH Mika! That's my breakfast." Ms. Olivia pouted and watched the 5 year old dig into her untouched breakfast meal.

/

"Oh Mika, you're already up….Huh?" Miss Kaniz popped in to find the sixth princess satisfying herself with her master's meal, who by the way was watching the child with teary eyes.

Staring at the entire fuss with flattened eyebrows and sleepy eyes, she unapologetically said, "This is what you get for engaging in ridiculous gossips."

{Sniff sniff} "My breakfast!"

* * *

**Back At the Cell**

"_Feel…feel…feel…feel….."_

Serene and composed, the young black mane kid regurgitated his mantra, over and over and over.

His legs had been crossed to support his meditating posture. He held out his right hand out like he was begging for a change.

"_Feel…feel…feel…feel…..feel the water molecules."_

His stretched out right arm wavered a bit, but didn't falter under the strenuous load of gravity.

"_Feel…feel…feel…feel….."_

His stretched out right hand dripped with water; water that belonged to the now half empty clear plastic bottle sitting beside him.

"_Feel…feel…feel…feel…..and now hold the water in…hold the water in….hold it in…hold…..hold…hold….."_

But the water within his right palm continued to drip away, slipping through his tight fingers to soak the floor beneath his right hand.

"_Hold…hold…hold…hold….."_

But his palms still couldn't contain the water which continued to slither away between his fingers; always teasing his skin by hanging against his knuckles before plummeting to floor in perfect droplets.

"_Hold…hold…hold…hold….."_

By now there was barely enough water to be held by his palm. All of them had followed the same path to the ground.

"_Hold…hold…hold…._TSK" His frustrated click broke the silence in his dimly lit chamber.

Glaring at his wet palm with rage, he fisted his right hand, digging his nails into his wet palm.

He wanted to slam that same right hand to ground, but held himself back. He sighed and calmed his boiling temper.

/

"_I guess that didn't work." _

He wanted to test his ability to bend elements. The plan was to prevent the water—he had poured from his bottle—from dripping through his palm to the floor.

/

It failed miserable. As soon he poured the liquid into his hand, almost all of them escaped. The rest also made their escape, but rather slowly between his fingers.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Although, he was able to sense through the elements, he wasn't able to mold them to his will.

His mother's recount of how he had bended water to heal himself when he was a toddler was the motivation that kicked started this unsuccessful trial.

The worst part was that he had even used his forbidden eyes during this experiment and still it failed. _Using his powers to train, to him, wasn't breaking his mother's promise. It counted as trying to learn more about his powers, which his mother claimed that he should do._

/

Sitting at a corner of his cell with his back turned to the camera's field of view, he closed his eyes and applied his wet cold hand to his burning eyeballs. His ocular sights had been long deactivated, but the fiery sensation from using them still lingered.

After the burning pain receded, he freed his eyelids from the wetness of his palm. Resting his right arm by his side, his shoulders slumped in failure.

"_Why couldn't I bend the water?" _He gazed at his soaked palm.

"_The range of my senses increased when I had my eyes on." _He remembered the first action he had taken when his ocular powers were activated. He had tried, once more, to sense through that metallic pole outside his cell.

Again, that also ended in failure but at least he learned some valuable information; the obvious one being that he simply couldn't break that metallic impasse. However his sensing capabilities and the distance they covered became extended when his eyes were different.

Overall, his eyes made two of his five senses—sight and touch—very sensitive to minute changes around his surroundings. The combinations of the two allowed him to essentially _feel_ or _see_ the elements around him.

/

"_So why couldn't I bend this tiny liquid? How was I able to do it back then when I was just a baby? My eyes were on…"_

His tongue froze, trapping his word under his throat.

Subsequently his mouth had gaped wide like he was swallowing the air, while his eyelids had stretched wide apart.

Lelouch's immobilize state was caused by his realization that he had never actually seen his own eyes, his new cursed eyes.

Freeing himself from his shock state, he glanced downwards at the water bottle near him. He squinted at the water held by the plastic tube with patience; hoping it would at least reflect back his image to his pupils.

But the laws of physics won't be defied.

/

"Aahh, this won't do."He hissed and swung his hand at the bottle, barely missing it.

He looked away from the bottle with a frown, frustrated by the lack of reflective objects in his cell.

"_WAIT!" _He jerked his head up._ "I'm missing something; something that all manators partake before performing their abilities."_

"Hand-seals." He muttered under his breath, barely audible to any eavesdroppers. He clutched his chin and gazed at the floor with a grave expression.

"_Yes that's it. That's what I'm missing. The hand-signs."_

Without those seals, it was fruitless for him to engage in more manipulations, with or without his abnormal eyes. The result would always be the same; failure.

"_But I don't know anything about hand-seals…or do I?" _He narrowed his gaze at the floor.

/

He closed his eyes, trying to dig up a deep memory from his mind. _"I think I remember Cornelia explaining this to me….a while back." _He gripped his forehead and squeezed his skull to create furrows on his forehead.

"_Come on remember!" _He urged his mind not to give up. Releasing his tight grip on his skull, he titled his head upwards and looked at his orange shaded ceiling.

"_Come on, come on." _Shutting his eyes again, he relaxed his shoulders and calmed his breathing. The sudden emergence of tranquility in his body allowed the tension around his mind to dissipate.

/

Lelouch felt himself falling into a deep recess.

He laid his back against the cold hard floor and used one of his arms as a pillow.

With his eyes still shut, he sensed the deepest part of his memories emerging. The recollection that he was seeking resurfaced.

* * *

**Flashback: Almost Four Months Ago **_**(Lelouch's memories won't recall every detail or event that occurred in this flashback)**_

"Euphie!" Cornelia called while she approached the dojo. "Euphie, are you even here yet?" She was almost at the entrance of the dojo.

"Euphie, I swear if you are not here….." She entered to find the hot-pink mane 10 year old already sitting on the soft wood-looking vinyl floor mat in the dojo, stretching her arms upwards in a way that accentuated her undeveloped tiny mounds.

/

"Euphie, why didn't you answer when I called…" She paused after her peripheral vision caught sight of another figure inside the dojo.

She turned her head to the side to find…"Lelouch?" She whispered with stunned, wide eyes.

/

The bored looking kid was resting his cheek on his hand.

Even though, Cornelia's stern voice was registered by his ears long before she had entered the dojo, he only turned to face her once his name was whispered.

/

However, as soon as his sleepy eyes met her figure, they began to widen, awakened by her appearance.

Slowly lifting his head from his palm, he gawked at Cornelia. Never before had he seen her wear anything so daring like this.

She had on a sports bra which acted like a mini tank-top and down her waist, she wore a hakama—a wide pleated skirt. With no top to cover her black sports bra, her white tone slim waist was left exposed to the air.

/

After realizing that her revealing attire was the cause of his goggling, she blushed and frozenly gawked back at Lelouch who was sitting at the spectator section within the dojo. His seat was simply the wooded floor and as such he had his legs crossed for support.

She sensed a burning sensation on her cheeks.

"_Uh!" _Her broadened eyelids quivered. _"Am I blushing?"_

Realizing that was the case, she broke locks with his gaze and looked away in embarrassment, tilting her body to conceal her exposed waist and accentuated chest.

/

"Ah!" Lelouch gaped.

He was both speechless and confused. He didn't know what to make of Cornelia's shy behavior. This was totally unlike her.

/

"Damn you, Cornelia." Euphie hoarsely muttered.

A mixture of rage and admiration swirled with her.

She was very impressed that her unladylike sister—who was equally known to be uninterested in boys—was able to knock Lelouch of his heel.

But her raging fury against her sister was much stronger. For one, she wanted to be the one to knock him off his heels. That's why she had dragged him here in the first place and was purposely stretching her body rather erotically in her tight yoga pants.

Her efforts, however, were having no effect so far.

/

The fact that her sister had achieved her true goals without even trying incensed her greatly.

/

Then lightning struck her mind. Her eyes widen.

She grabbed her chest and realized the source of her shortcomings.

She regarded her chest with depressed eyes.

"_I'm still flat, aren't I?"_

_/_

Meanwhile, Cornelia realized her fluster was dragging on for too long.

Shaking her head to dispel the shyness, she regained some composure.

/

"Lelouch!" She turned her head to him, but not her entire body. For assurances, she had crossed her arms over her chest to conceal her mounds.

/

"What are you doing here?"

Her stern voice woke Lelouch from his stupor.

He shook his head also to gather his thoughts.

Instead of answering, he pointed to the girl who was brooding in the middle of the arena.

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"_When will my breast get bigger?"_

"EUPHEMIA!"

Her heart jumped, along with her body.

"Hiee!" Euphie shrieked in fear. She kept her quivering widen gaze to the mat she sat on.

All her worries about boobs vanished; replaced with the unimaginable consequences that marched towards her.

Almost on cue, the shadow of the demon envelope her tiny figure.

She trembled, knowing that Cornelia was just standing in front of her.

/

Euphie continued to keep her vision down, hoping her sister would just disappear.

But that wasn't happening. Cornelia was waiting for her. She was waiting for Euphie to stare right into her furious glare.

/

A moment went by and Euphie was suffering from the daggers her older sibling was glaring into her.

"_Okay, okay. Come down! She's not going to do anything to me, her precious little sister, right?"_

Clutching her knees, Euphie decided to face the monster.

{Gulp}. She swallowed her fear.

"_Maybe if I smile….."_

She lifted her head and faced Cornelia with a sweet innocent smile.

"WIPE THAT SMILE OF YOUR FACE!"

It didn't work.

Euphie flinched. Her face twisted into fear stricken look.

/

"Why did you bring him here?"

"I…..I….." Sweat beads began to trickle off Euphie's back.

"How many times have I told you?"

"I…..I…."

"All non-manators and non-clan members are not supposed to be here, EVER."

/

Euphie's shoulders sagged. Her gaze became downcast.

/

Lelouch was a spectator to the scolding. He didn't want to get involve with the demonic Cornelia. But what was the big deal with him being here, anyway?

/

"Euphie! This is a serious misjudgment on your part."

/

"No one and I mean no one, especially someone who can't control the elements, is ever allowed into our training sanctuary. Heck even the world is not supposed to know that this place exists."

Euphie nodded; her ponytail nodded along also. Her barely visibly depressed eyes now gazed at the mat.

/

Cornelia sighed and pinched her nose bridge.

Euphie's dejected demeanor had pierced her demonic heart and now a tinge of sorrow was bubbling up within her.

Cornelia went to her knees.

/

Euphie's eyes widened.

She felt a hand caressing her cheek.

Slowly lifting her head, she gaped at the sight in front of her; a tenderly smiling Cornelia.

"Euphie!" The soothing voice of Cornelia called her.

"Training sanctuaries are part of our clan, and just like how clans are supposed to remain a secret, so as the training sanctuaries."

"Don't ever make this mistake again okay."

"Okay." The lively response from Euphie satisfied Cornelia. She beamed another smile to her sister before withdrawing her hand from Euphie's blushing cheek.

/

"Now as for the punishment," Cornelia stood back up, assuming her authoritative stance.

"Wait! I'm still going to be punished?" Euphie cried out in shock.

"Yes. You will do 30 abdominal crunches."

"AH!" Euphie gasped in horror.

"Followed by 30 punches."

"AH!...oh wait! That's not that bad!"

"Oh, you think that's easy, huh?" Cornelia bended her hip to edge closer to Euphie's face.

"You will finish with 20 jump ropes and 20 push-ups." Cornelia whispered and straightened herself afterwards.

/

A look of despair was frozen on Euphie's face.

/

Cornelia walked away from the ghostly paled Euphie. "And just because Lelouch's here doesn't mean that we're cancelling today's session."

/

"NOOOOO!" Euphie's scream of misery was music to Cornelia's ears.

Lelouch spotted a grin on her face as she marched out through the dojo's entrance.

* * *

Later

"Ten….mm..."

/

"Eleven….mmm…"

/

"Twelve…mmmm…"

/

The sound of Euphie's struggles reached his ears. Turning his head, Lelouch watched the poor princess, fighting to complete her 13th abdominal crunch.

/

"Thirteeeeeeen…" Euphie battled against her weight while she desperately tried to raise her head and shoulders off the mat.

"Thirteen…" Her tank-top wrinkled around her abdomen as she finally succeeded in lifting her head and shoulders off the vinyl mat.

She held her stance for three seconds before returning back to vinyl cushion floor.

Her chest heaved back and forth for air while she laid back. She was allowed a ten second wait time between each crunch interval.

/

"What's the big deal with me here anyway?" Lelouch asked the purple lock teen who was preoccupied with the chess pieces in front of her.

Now that her top was covered with an un-buttoned shirt, her coyness had disappeared.

/

No answer from the purple princess.

/

"_She didn't react. Not even to my question."_

"_And she has that look on her face, again." _Thoughts from Lelouch.

/

Out of all the people that Lelouch ever played against, Cornelia was the most vexing opponent he had ever faced. It wasn't for her skills—in fact her white knight had just taken his last remaining rook—it was her demeanor at times like this.

Cornelia simply never revealed any emotions whatsoever.

She would always look calm in victory and in defeat; always concealing her emotions within.

Lelouch hated that.

/

He could have easily played his chess matches online against some opponent somewhere around the world, but instead he always had his suitcase chess board with him; ready to challenge his siblings or some arrogant noble.

/

Why, because he enjoyed the thrill of witnessing his opponents reactions.

Their reactions when they see victory within their grasp.

Their reactions when those victories sights are replaced with a nasty surprise.

Their reactions when they see imminent defeat.

/

Even the great tactical genius, as Schneizel was, would at times raise an eyebrow when Lelouch pulled off an unexpected move.

Of course, he would always counter.

But that moment; the moment when Lelouch knew that he had created some uncertainties for his older sibling just felt so right.

It always became his motivation; to try to re-create his older sibling's reaction and maybe, even possibly achieve a better result in the process.

/

But Cornelia was a different creature altogether when it came to chess. A straight-face, unemotional look was all that she portrayed.

No reaction to Lelouch's onslaughts or the nasty traps that Lelouch would sometimes fall into.

/

Lelouch hated playing against her. She was just too boring and occasional hard to predict.

Was a trap waiting for his black queen if he moves her 4 diagonal squares to b5 to check her white king or was she just simply careless and had simply left her king undefended?

What about her white queen? Would his king be left unguarded against her white queen?

/

"Euphie!"

"Huh?" Lelouch was startled by Cornelia's stern voice.

"Start over!" Cornelia commanded.

/

"Huh!" Euphie groggily sounded.

She rolled her head backwards on the mat and saw both her sister and Lelouch to be in an upside down position.

She blinked several times at them before "WHAT?" Cornelia words had finally sunk in.

"Why?" She rolled over the mat to properly face her sister, who was now facing the board once more.

"Why do I have to start over? I've done 18 crunches so far….."

/

"I said you only get a 10 second break between each crunch not 30." Lifting her head, she placed her gaze at her sister.

"On your last two, you spent 30 seconds between each interval." She frowned at Euphie whose mouth was wide apart; ready to protest, but Cornelia's glare convinced her otherwise.

/

"Start over!" Cornelia won the argument and returned her attention back to the game at hand.

/

Lelouch couldn't decipher Euphie's mumbling, but he began to feel bad for his hot-pink mane sister.

"Again, why is it a big deal? I mean I won't tell anyone about my presence here."

Lelouch's voice finally reached Cornelia, because her gaze was now fixed at him and not the board.

Cornelia locked eyes with the black hair prince for a while, before sighing in surrender. _"I guess it won't hurt if he knows some stuff."_

_/_

"Okay Lelouch, I will explain some stuff to you, if…." She held out her index finger. "…..you promise to not share this with anyone else."

Lelouch's brows furrowed. The atmosphere around him morphed into a serious one.

Regarding his sister with a frown, he nodded his head and verbally stated, "I promise."

/

Cornelia, satisfied with his response, relaxed her hand. Her face was equally etched with a frown.

"Lelouch, if you didn't know, there are many clans within the Fire Bloodline."

Lelouch nodded to a fact he already knew.

"But that doesn't mean that they all like each other." She relaxed her eyes to suspend the deep furrows on her forehead.

/

"Clans have been at each other's throat for as long as one can remember. In fact there was once a major conflict between the major clans of the Fire Bloodline on our very continent. And it was a very bloody one."

"Mm!" Lelouch's eyes widened.

"The bottom line is they've never liked each and they still don't."

/

Lelouch's heart pumped faster. Sweat beads began to form on his back as fear was creeping into him.

Already, everything about clans sounded scary and deathly.

He griped his knees tightly, preparing himself for more.

/

"The reason why we train in secret is to prevent our secrets from being stolen by others. In fact one clan in the past had allowed another clan to learn their secrets and ways too much. Why? Because they were allies"

She furrowed her brow deeply before resuming. "In the end, this clan was wiped out greatly because of the treachery of their ally."

Lelouch remained still. His face still held its frown expression.

"In the world of clans, there are no allies…." She lowered her head, placing her frown at the chess board. "…..only enemies who haven't attacked you yet."

/

Lelouch likewise squinted at his game board with his mouth curved down. Cornelia's pessimistic words had soured his taste for their match.

But this was his chance to learn more about the world of manipulation. A world that his siblings and to some extent his mother had excluded him from.

"So if your clan has a secret training facility here in the Imperial District, what about the other clans? Do they also have one here, in the District?"

/

Impressed by Lelouch's perceptive question, Cornelia's tight lips smiled at Lelouch and uttered nothing.

/

Lelouch curved his mouth downwards and raised a brow.

Cornelia's tight-lipped smile was alarming, almost like she was concealing something from him.

"What is it? What are you not telling me?"

/

"What did you mostly see when you were coming here?"

"Trees, lots and lots of trees. We are in a wooded area, but aren't we still within the confines of the Imperial District?"

/

Cornelia closed her eyes and slanted a corner of her lips upwards in a lopsided smile.

For once she enjoyed having to explain a few things to the kid many called the next Schneizel.

"You're right. We are still in the confines of the District, but there's a reason why Imperial District is located on the outskirts of Pendragon."

"And that is…" Lelouch asked, trying to keep this conversation rolling.

/

"You said it yourself, the woods."

"The outskirt of Imperial District is surrounded by so much woodland that some actually call it a forest."

She had raised her hand as if to catch something before resuming.

"And because of this, we and others can essentially build a hidden world here."

/

"So other clans do have secret training facilities around here"

"Yes and no."

"Uh!" Lelouch widened his mouth.

"Only the major clans within the Fire Bloodlines have a training facility within these woods and not all the clans."

"Oooooo, okay!"

/

Another intriguing thought popped into Lelouch's head. "Besides secret dojos, you guys don't have any weird structures around here, right?"

Cornelia chuckled. "You sly kid! I'm not answering that."

Lelouch curled his lips downwards.

/

Cornelia didn't miss his doleful expression. So she decided to at least tease him a bit.

She waved him closer and covered her lips.

"But there is a rumor that around these woods, there's an underground secret facility where dangerous criminals are placed in."

Lelouch eyes widened. He edged himself closer more since Cornelia was whispering.

"This secret prison doesn't fall under the jurisdiction of the Royal Guards, the Imperial Guards, the Military, or even the OSI, but rather the Clans. And it is also claimed that once a criminal lands in there, it means they don't exist anymore in the real world."

"So is it a one way ticket?"

"It seems so."

She unveiled her lips and straightened her back. Her white unzipped shirt draped around her black sports bra.

/

Lelouch was expressing a stunned face, which elicited a concern look from Cornelia.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just that clans sound like dangerous and powerful organizations, _with powers to rule a country." _He kept the latter parts within.

"They are."

"I see."

He looked down at his lap.

/

"Hey are safe here by ourselves by the way?"

/

"Huh?" Cornelia gave her brother a puzzle face.

"What's gone into you? Did I scare you too much?"

"Ah no!" He lied. "It's just that if clans don't like each other and all of you have secret facilities around here, close to each other, possibly. What's stopping one clan from spying on us or even attacking us while we are here?"

/

"First of all…." She raised her index. "…..I never said we don't like each other…..oh wait I think I did."

"Yeah you did."

/

"Okay, I shouldn't have said that but what I meant was that we are very protective and very paranoid around one another."

"Second….." She raised her middle finger, adding it to her index. "….yes we all have secret facilities at the backward of the District, but the woodlands territory have been divided among the clans. Everyone knows where their territory is, and crossing into another's territory is strongly forbidden and considered as an act of aggression. That also explains why there's a huge no-fly zone around the District. It is mostly due to the clans."

/

"Plus we have guardsman protecting us." She beamed a closed-lip smile at him.

"Uh huh!" Lelouch still wasn't assured. _"Still, what's stopping them from…."_

_/_

"AH! She's sleeping." Cornelia's shout interrupted Lelouch's thoughts.

Bringing his sights to the middle of the arena, he discovered the hot-pink chick dozed off with her mouth wide open, sucking in the air. He arms and legs were sprawled wide apart as she laid face up to the ceiling.

Cornelia was mesmerized by the beauty of her little sister. She watched her tiny mounds rise up and down with her breathing. She noticed a strand of her hot-pink mane lying against her sweaty forehead. Her ponytail was a mess.

She smiled warmly at her, remembering how precious she was to her and how she would fight even their father to protect her. Then she recalled that she was _"supposed to be doing push-ups."_

_/_

Cornelia began to rise up. "That little…."

She froze. A hand had clasped her wrist.

/

"Just let her sleep a little."

She faced the boy who was still seated with a stun gaze.

"I'm also at fault here. I shouldn't have allowed her to drag me here." He released his grip and set his downcast eyes to the board. "I just wanted to know where you guys were usually going when you trained."

/

"All the time you guys would always shun me and Nunnally away, telling us that it was a place we didn't belong to."

/

"Lelouch!" She felt bad. Her heart was getting crushed by the guilt.

"It's just….it's…that's how things are. I can't do anything about it."

Sitting back down, she looked away and then, "I'm sorry."

/

"It's okay." Lelouch gave her weak but sincere smile. She replied likewise.

/

"Do you want to finish the game?"

"Ahh, I don't feel like playing." Lelouch's taste for the match had died a long time ago.

"What should we do then?"

/

"Hmm!" {Tap…..tap…..tap…..}

Lelouch tapped his chess board repeatedly with the same rhythm.

"How about you show me some manipulation techniques?"

/

"What?" Cornelia raised her brow and flicked her head upwards. "Why? You're not even a manator?"

"I don't know." Plopping down on his back to the wood floor and using his palms as cushions for his head, he regarded the ceiling.

"I just thought, you know, it would allow me to better understand you guys. I mean all of you besides me, Nunnally, and Mika, are manators."

"You know I just think it could help foster….."

/

"Mhmm!" Despite humming to his statement, Cornelia had tuned Lelouch out.

A frown was imprinted on her face.

The mentioning of Nunnally and Mika had started a different line of thought.

"_Now that I think about it, I've never met those two's parents before. Where are they truly from?"_

_/_

Lelouch continued his blabbering.

/

"_Lady Marianne always said those two belonged to a dear good friend; a person who was even friends with father. Mom even stated that this person had difficulties raising her children because of clan issues, so Marianne and Charles—unbelievable by the way—had agreed to take them in as their own."_

_/_

"Cornelia!"

/

"_Clan issues huh?"_

_/_

"Cornelia!"

/

"_So wait! Does that mean those two have the genes of a manator?"_

_/_

"CORNELIA!"

/

"Huh?"

/

Lelouch stared for a while with a deadpan expression.

"Where you even listening?"

"Yeah! Yeah, I was." She grinned forcefully.

Lelouch's face remained unchanged.

/

"HUH!" Cornelia huffed, dropping her forced smile. "Okay fine, I will show you some stuff."

That seemed to lighten his mood a bit, since his lips curved upwards slightly.

/

"But I won't show you too much."

Cornelia got up.

"I shouldn't be doing this in the first place." Cornelia grunted.

Lelouch got up and followed suit.

* * *

**A/N: **If you guys still hate me and want to stop reading, I will completely understand.

Please don't stop reading!


	7. Chapter 7: CG Arc: Judgment Part 5

**A/N: **Haha, you guys are gonna love this.

I boxed myself into a corner with all these promises and instead of posting a 20,000 words single chapter to conclude the Judgment Arc; I decided to break it up.

So you know what that means…Yes this Judgment sh*t is not over.

But to solve this confusion for possible future readers, I'm adding **Titles **to the Judgment Arcs.

Soooo….**Enjoy **and thanks for the **Reviews**. I will fix the Grammar as I see them.

* * *

Chapter 7: Judgment Part 5

**FIRE: THE JUDGMENT OF DESTRUCTION**

**FLASHFORWARD: November 14****th****: 2009; 3AM**

{BEEP…BEEP...BEEP…BEEP…BEEP}.

The night was turning old and the cold breeze was blinding the windows with frost.

/

{BEEP…BEEP...BEEP…BEEP…BEEP}.

The trial was over but at what cost?

/

{BEEP…BEEP...BEEP…BEEP…BEEP}.

Was it the title he was never able to redeem back from his father or his life which he had nearly lost?

/

Which was more important?

Which was more important to him?

Which was more important to them?

Which was more important to her?

/

"_What would mother had done?" _

Standing close to the large window, a pair of firm ruby irises gazed solemnly at the broken, battered, and bruised Lelouch, as he slept soundly on his hospital bed; an oxygen mask strapped to his blood discolored face. His cheeks swollen and his forehead wrapped in gauze bandages.

{BEEP…BEEP...BEEP…BEEP…BEEP}.

His computerized heartbeats radiated throughout the operational room and seeped through the thick glass window into the adjacent observation room occupied by two lonely figures.

Silence and space reined between the two as they equally observed the fading prince and the health physicians battling to save his soul.

Cladded with the same fashion—a dark cape fashion with the familiar blue rose emblem of the Azar Clan woven into it—the two figures were one with their minds; their thoughts clouded with gloom, darkness, and doubt.

/

"_Why did she do that?"_

They were at odds on how they had intervened during a crucial moment of the trial.

"_Why did she suggest such an idea for father?" _Cornelia revisited their intervention; the trial was still fresh in her mind.

Cornelia gave her slightly shorter companion a quick glance. But with her back facing Cornelia, there was nothing more to see other than her black mane. This individual was standing upfront and next to the window to observe the slump body of her brother.

/

Cornelia swiped her frown eyes away from June's back. Her pressed lips curved downwards as she couldn't make sense of her emotions; displeasure about the outcome of her stepsister's lead intervention—which she assisted—but grief for her.

Their Lelouch, her Lelouch was dying right in front of them, in the room next to theirs and they were partly to blame.

Her clenched fists trembled besides her, hidden from view by the dark fabric of her Azar Clan cape.

Everything just felt unreal. The events that occurred tonight—a few hours ago—were just too unbearable for her mind. So many revelations were revealed: Lelouch's powers and the fact that he was a manipulator, his title within their family, the late Empress and her secrets, and finally, the Emperor. What was their father's plans and intention? Why did he let Lelouch go through all of that? _"And in the end, he was still going to….."_

She squeezed shut her eyes and gritted her white teeth, trying to slow down the flow of recollections coursing through her. Just remembering some of the events from the trial induced a torrent of rage into her system. For once she bored great animosity towards the Clans _but not her father?_

She breathed through her open mouth, relaxed her shoulders, and unclenched her hands. She needed to calm her blood down. She couldn't blow off steam here, especially not right in front of June. That would be disrespectful towards the young princess.

Raising her chin, Cornelia gazed at the frozen girl, standing up-close to the large window, with soft eyes. She noticed how her long straight black hair rested neatly behind her back and on top of her cape, slightly obscuring their clan's emblem.

June was so small—slightly shorter than her—and young, but yet very matured in her eyes.

She remembered the day when Marianne passed her daughter unto her, officially. Cornelia was five back then, but still recalled that moment like it occurred yesterday.

* * *

**Flashback: Spring of 1999**

"Okay Cornelia, this thing right here is very shy and doesn't talk much."Marianne patted on the soft head of June, but the three year old was unresponsive like a doll. Her glazed eyes remained squared at Cornelia.

Cornelia raised a brow at the three year old realistic doll, before lifted it upwards towards its mother. Her idol was treating her first born like she was…not even a human, even though the child's behavior did support her idol's assertions.

Marianne, noticing the confused glance from Cornelia, bended down to level her face with the five year old, short purple hair princess.

"I'm placing her under your tutelage."

"Huh!" Cornelia widened her eyes at the smiling Empress and her straight-face child—both mother's and child's faces were leveled equally, so looking at one meant looking at both.

But nonetheless, it was a bizarre picture; one was posting an honest smile while the other had an emotionless blank stare.

/

"But…"

"Show her around. Teach her your ways. Make her become a lady."

/

"_HM?" _Olivia eyes sprang open. Her arm halted and froze the coffee mug, which was filling up her mouth.

"_Cornelia…A LADY?" _Her daughter and that phrase were like fire and water. She needed to say something, something to her misguided friend.

"_OH SHIT!" _Trapped Frappuccino in her mouth was coming back out. Quickly pushing the mug away from her mouth, she swung her head away from their garden table—turned into a dinner table with their lunches on it—and faced the green cut lawn to her side.

{PFFFFFFF!} Her frozen coffee, mixed with saliva, burst out of her lips and sprayed out like a clog fountain.

/

Her unladylike moment captured the attention of the three in front of her. They stared past their food covered garden table and watch the fuchsia hair Empress place her cup back down to grab a cloth to clean the liquid mess around her lips.

"Cornelia? A lady?" She muffled through the cloth.

Removing it from her mouth, she began to degrade her own first born. "Please, she won't know anything about being a lady." She laid the cloth next to her ruin frozen beverage. "Now you're talking to the girl who doesn't like hairdos and thus has decided to keep hers short."

Waving a hand around, she looked towards in a distance, away from the three. "And she even thinks the act of putting on make-ups in the morning is equal to wasting one-third of one's entire day. How can someone who….. "

Meanwhile, both Cornelia and Marianne stared at the babbling pregnant Empress with exhausted deadpan eyes. Amazing that Cornelia was only five but she understood how annoying her mother could be.

/

Tired of hearing the prolonged jabbering, Marianne decided to take a swing at her fuchsia mane companion.

"WELL AT LEAST she's not the one spitting out coffee near our food…" Marianne paused her yelling. Narrowing her sights at the now hushed Olivia, she beamed a tight-lipped smile at her horrid face.

"….ooorrrrr….."

Olivia horrid eyes widened at Marianne; as if she knew what the Flash was about to unveil.

"….regurgitating her breakfast somewhere behind a bush in the garden." The low tone remark from Marianne silenced the garden.

/

{WHOOOSH!} Even the passing wind wondered why the four figures were so quiet.

/

Olivia eyes stretched beyond reach, threatening to leap out of their sockets. Marianne's sly words rang through her ears like a bad catchy song tone wedged within her mind to constantly replay itself in her head.

Her cheeks turned shades of red while her mouth gaped in horror.

"Ah….." Unable to release some verbal reactions, she sat there frozen with her gawked expression staring at the three pairs of blank eyes staring back at her.

She blushed vibrantly at them, dismayed that Marianne had revealed her shameful, uncontrollable biological habit—induced by her pregnancy—to the world; to her child. Now she would never respect her mother.

"How…..how could you….." Her eyes began to tear up as she sulked in front of the three. "Why did you say it out louuuud, waaaaahhhhhhh!" The sound of her wailing caused the three characters, even June, to form sweat drops.

"WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Her somewhat fictitious cries grew louder. More sweat drops from everyone, except June, as they didn't know what to make of this. Cornelia confused that her mother, the person who constantly preached about the sophistication of a royal lady, was bawling like a two year old and had threw up somewhere in the garden.

June wondered why the large woman was fake crying.

Marianne meanwhile regretted making fun of her elephant belly friend. _"Only Olivia would cry like that in front of children." _"Huh!" Marianne exhaled after her thought. There was nothing she could do to cure big baby syndrome.

/

"As I was saying Cornelia….." Except to ignore it.

Cornelia turned to face Marianne and her child and away from her wailing mother.

"June is your responsibility now. I can't really spend time with her…" Marianne turned to face June who subsequently turned towards her mother. Their eyes locked with Marianne smiling warmly at her child.

/

"WAAAAHHHHH!"

/

Marianne's smile vanished. Hanging her head low, she exhaled loudly. "I can't because I've got this…..on my hand." She flayed a palm towards the bulged belly, oversize cry baby, seated at their lunch table.

"WAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"HUH!" A sigh emitted by both Cornelia and Marianne at the same time.

/

"WHAT…..huff….huff….huff…..WHAT HAPPENED, MY LADY?" The spent and out of breath Miss Rhoda, who had rushed to the scene, asked her crying master.

"Marianne…..she…..she's been mean to me!" Olivia wiped her tears with one hand while jabbing a finger in the direction of the three.

/

The frantic face on Miss Rhoda slowly effaced, only to be replaced with an expression that non-verbally translated to the sentence; _"Are you serious?"_

* * *

**Flashback Ends**

"Hm, hm!" Cornelia chuckled from the jovial thoughts in her mind. Oh what she would do to just have those moments back, the times when her idol was still alive and Lelouch and everyone else were all happy. _"Those were the days."_

She looked towards the stoic 13 year old teen and wondered how she was dealing with everything that had occurred tonight. Was she starting to resent the clans or more importantly, did she continue to hold some love for their father?

Cornelia's downcast gaze fell to the cold dark floor of their observation room. Even she wasn't sure of her feelings for him. Their father was a just man. He had achieved great things for their nation. Ushered a period of wealth and comfort for most of his citizens and was very considerate with his power. He had never abused his rightful powers as the supreme ruler of the Empire.

But whenever it involved Lelouch, he was different. Whether out of malice or kindness, he was never same when dealing with his last born prince.

Cornelia was unsure about her father. She wanted to be fair in her judgment of him. Even after discovering her idol's past and what transpired during Lelouch's infancy, she still was indecisive about her father's role in all of this. Why did he despise his son greatly?

"_It wasn't like it was Lelouch's fault that Marianne died?" _Yet it felt like he was faulting him for her death during the trial.

/

{BEEP…BEEP...BEEP…BEEP…BEEP}.

"Uh!" Cornelia flinched. A stroke of fear travelled through her spine as her widened eyes remained fixed to the floor. Becoming too trapped with her past memories, she had tuned out his heartbeats.

Now reawakened by those same repetitious heartbeats, she feared the worst had happened while caught up in her mind.

"_Is Lelouch okay?" _Lifting her head, she viewed through the observation window into the adjacent operation room.

/

{BEEP…BEEP...BEEP…BEEP…BEEP}.

Nothing was different. It was the same depressing scene. A battered, abused, and unconscious body fixed to the bed with medical tubes protruding from it, and was being attended to by the physicians.

/

Slowly her panic morphed into a great ire. She clenched her teeth and fists tightly; her long nails dug into her palms.

"_Father!" _First time she ever thought about him in spite.

"_Father, how could you do this to your own son?"_ The events that had unfolded a few hours ago remerged within her thoughts, filling her with hate once more. She remembered how Lelouch almost died under the guise of a trial.

* * *

**Rewind to 12 Hours Ago;**** Around 3PM on November 10****th****, 2009**

Lelouch eyes sprang open. Groggily, they scanned the ceiling above him.

Realizing the familiar stoned ceiling to be his prison chamber, he grudgingly lifted his back off the cold floor he was sleeping against.

Sitting upright, he rubbed his tired eyes to reinvigorate them.

"HUUUUH!" He yawned, covering his mouth with his hand to hide his enlarged, stretched out jaw. Speck of tears appeared at the corners of his closed eyes that were squeezed shut during the yawn.

"_How long was I out?"_ He took a glimpse over his shoulder at the wax stick behind him. _"About an hour, I suppose." _

Tilting his head back to his front, he stretched his back, raising his arms high. A single cracking sound from a backbone satisfied him so he ceased his flexing. Relaxing his arms besides his crossed legs, he noticed the soiled wet spot near his tray.

Immediately, he stared at his right palm, remembering his failed attempts to manipulate water.

"_Hm." _He chuckled at his futile past attempts involving manipulation. _"I was going about this all wrong."_

_/_

"_Thanks to Cornelia I know have some understanding of how manipulation works." _He smirked at his open palm, wondering why he had buried such crucial recollections at the recess of his thoughts. Was it simply because he wasn't part of their world back then?

"_It doesn't matter anymore. I remembered. I was able to remember what happen." _He formed a fist with his hand, clutching it hard with determination which forced his veins to rise up along his arm. He then swore to make use of this new information.

Unraveling his fist, he slowly relaxed his eyelids, blinding his eyes altogether. The four months memories that had lured him to sleep were flooding back to his thoughts. He began to replay the crucial moment from his memories.

* * *

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**Flashback: Almost Four Months Ago.**

Lelouch and Cornelia were standing at the front section of the dojo or the shomen. An alcove was placed at the shomen.

"We always call the front side of the dojo a shomen and this alcove is also known as a toko in some places. These foreign names came from Japan, the birth place of dojos and other rituals followed by clans worldwide."

/

"Huh! So Japan is really influential in the world of manipulations?"

"Culturally? Yes. Some of their ways were taken by other clans worldwide." Cornelia directed a glance at the boy below her view. "That's because the earliest clans ever to be formed on Earth were from the Lightning Bloodline and…." She returned her view back to the alcove. "…..they were from the island nation."

"_Really? I never knew that." _Lelouch surprise eyes remained fixed at the alcove.

/

Relaxing his stretched eyelids, Lelouch absorbed the decorated scenery within the recess part of the alcove and gazed intently at the ornaments inside. A fire burning on a plate in the front center of the alcove, a miniature plant like tree—known as the Japanese white pine—on the left-side of the fire and to the right-side of the fire, a circular mirror. But one particular item stood out the most for him; the hanging scroll.

"What's that?" Lelouch pointed to the large black colored scroll with a painting of a large blue rose.

Cornelia hesitated, wondering whether or not to reveal the clan's name to him. _"It doesn't matter now. He has already seen this place. It won't hurt if he knows it."_ She reassured herself.

"That's the insignia of the Azar Clan. It is the name of our clan. Don't tell anyone about this." She looked down at him, and was slightly stunned to find a saddened expression on his face. His dejected sights were locked at the hanging blue rose painting.

"It's okay," he murmured. "I won't reveal my mother's clan's name to anyone."

Cornelia's face grew soft. She wasn't surprised that Marianne had revealed their clan's name to her son, but her mood was soured.

She had always hoped that Lelouch, of all people, could be part of their clan. Then he would under her tutelage like June. She would train him to be a masterful tactician on the battlefield and raised him to be a great manator.

"So why are we here?" Lelouch's voice released her from her fantasizing.

"AHEM!" She cleared her throat, which earned a glance at her direction from Lelouch.

"You need to understand our foundations." She looked down at the fire bellowing on a plate in front of the insignia.

Lelouch followed her line of vision and equally regarded the flames, wondering how the orange spectacle was still burning on the metallic plate with no source of fuel.

"The foundations, huh!" He rephrased.

"Yes. We just don't produce fire, we produce a judge." Her sights remained fixated on the flames.

Lelouch raised a brow at the flames. "Fire is a judge?"

/

No response from the teen. There was a brief silence before…..

"Fire is the element that brought man together upon its discovery. It allowed us to assembly around it at night and induced man to become closer to one another during their darkest periods, when their senses and sights were blinded by the absence of day."

"But during these periods…." She paused to rest her tongue. "….allies and enemies circled around the same spectacle and shared a piece of themselves, their secrets to the others around." She leaned her head forward.

"Through this, man will discover that having companionship—someone to share your day with and possibly watch your back at night—wasn't that bad."

"And so Fire….." Her brows furrowed at the flame. "…..is ultimately responsible for the rise of civilizations."

/

Lelouch stared at her with slight raised eyebrows. Her voice sounded different, very silvery, light tone, and soft. And her speech…_"what the heck was that about?"_

"We warm ourselves with its heat….." Cornelia resumed. "…feed ourselves with its burns, shine our darkest paths with its light, and defend ourselves with its power. Man would be nothing without existence of Fire."

Lelouch continued his goggling. Cornelia was acting bizarre and her words sounded strange, but they made sense. _"She's talking about the discovery of fire and its benefits for man."_

_/_

"_Uh!" _Lelouch's quivering eyes widened when they noticed the fierceness with her gaze directed at the flames. The fire reflected off her indigo irises.

"But fire is not only an instrument of life that has allowed our species to rise as the dominant one of Earth; it is also the judgment of destruction." She widened her eyelids, exposing the full extent of her eyeballs to the flame.

"It is cruel and uncaring, but it is always impartial. It judges all things equally."

"It heeds to no one and knows no boundaries. Set it free and it would consume all. It's the judge of faith and its judgment will forever be the same; BURN!" She snarled at the flames.

{FLASH} The fire jumped and became larger, brighter, and hotter; at the exact moment she snarled and angrily uttered that final word.

"AH!" Lelouch yelped and stepped back slightly. He gawked, with enlarged eyeballs, at the flames that had, now, settled back to its original size.

"_What the FUCK was THAT?" _The fire, it seemed, had responded to the word 'BURN.'

/

Slowly relaxing his tense shoulders, he took a step closer to the flames, examining it with his enlarged trembling eyesight.

After noticing his tranquil demeanor, Cornelia resumed.

"For those who are able to summon its existence, we are blessed." Her tone was calmer this time. She didn't want to frighten him even more. "We are very blessed to be able wield such an instrument. An instrument that alters the faith of its users; whether good or bad, fire will always accomplish something for its creators."

Lelouch's gawked expression remained frozen at the fiery plate, but his ears were focused on Cornelia. Not only was she uncharacteristically very poetic but this fire right in front of him appeared to be alive or something. _"That would explain why it is seemingly burning without a fuel source."_

"Remember this Lelouch!"

Lelouch startled. He quickly clamped shut his mouth and faced his sister.

Cornelia fierce eyes bored into his.

"We are not the masters of fire, but rather its servants. We must also show patience and respect when dealing with its great power. Otherwise…" She returned her furrowed brows to the flames. "….we would be overwhelmed and be consumed by it."

/

There was a crackle of silence until…..

"Fire is never a gentle master." She finally concluded her inspirational speech, or advice, or verse or…whatever that was.

/

"_WOAH!" _was the only thing he could think of. He had never seen her so resolute like this before, but more importantly, he redirected his attention to the flames bellowing on the plate. _"What the heck is up with this fire?"_

"Huh!"Releasing a faint sigh, her head sagged to the side in exhaustion._ "Did I overdo it?"_ She ailed in regret and peeked through her bangs—which was draping around her face—and at the transfixed prince. He was completely captivated with the fire, more so after her little flashy trick with it.

/

"_Aaaaahh ENOUGH!"_

{CLAP}. A deafening sound from her hands, slapping together into one, managed to break his attention away from it.

"What was that for?" He wiggled his head to dispel the ringing noise from his ears.

"We are moving on to the plant." She faced the tree-like-plant to the left of the flames.

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"This plant here symbolizes the one thing that separates us manators from regular humans."

"Okay." Lelouch spoke but kept an intense stare at plant. He was both anticipating another speech from Cornelia and equally anticipating something unexpected from this tree-like substance. _"Will it wiggle its tiny branches or grow bigger?"_

_/_

"_Okay, now you sound stupid." _He reprimanded himself after a moment of thought.

"Everything has some form of energy stored within them. Would you agree?"

"_I guess she's not giving a speech this time."_ He thought before nodding to her in agreement.

"But how we use them is different for everyone. For example, plants use light energy from the Sun to create chemical energy which makes them grow." She gestured toward the plant.

"Likewise, we humans use our energy for whole list of things: walking, talking; even thinking." She retracted her hand.

"However, if you think about it, humans can't truly control the manner of which they use their energy." She placed her knotted eyebrows at him. Her demeanor was very serious.

"Let's take a marathon for an instance." She glanced away. "The normal standard for running a marathon is to start out slow to conserve your energy for the final rounds, isn't that right?"

The moment she uttered the word 'marathon', Lelouch's attentive mood disappeared. _"She had to bring up some crazy physical exercise sports game to ruin this."_

His eyes became glazed.

Remembering that she was waiting for his reply, he answered in a flat voice.

"Eh, I'm not sure." He shrugged his shoulders. "I never understood those stupid events anyway." He placed his lazy eyes at the fire engulfed plate, and away from Cornelia's slightly enraged face and her twitchy right eye.

"_I shouldn't have left my sights of this fire." _He regretted ever becoming focused on the plant. Whether he was completely oblivious or unfazed by the annoyed purple princess, he didn't sense the fuming ominous stare behind him.

Then he heard a loud exhalation above his shoulders.

Cornelia had calmed her soul. _"I will get him later." _

_/_

Cornelia refocused on the plant before resuming. "Anyway, let's just say that's what a marathon is; you start out slow to conserve energy and then you finish strong. But how would you know how much energy you are conserving? You are using the same energy to jog as the runners sprinting ahead, but simply not at the same rate? How would you truly know whether you have enough energy to finish the race?"

Lelouch glimpsed at her with raised brows, waiting for her to answer her own question.

"You wouldn't?" She did answer her own question. "Unless you were a trained athlete at running marathons, you wouldn't even know how much energy you were starting with."

"Even for those athletes, the race isn't about energy conservation but rather muscle endurance. Their bodies are so used to the event that they can pinpoint exactly when and where their limits are and train themselves to overcome those limitations."

Lelouch, with his deadpan gaze at the fire, wondered how this has anything to do with manipulation.

"For these athletes, it's about whether their leg muscles have enough energy to endure the grueling hike to the finish line?" She continued her raving about marathons.

"And if they make it near the finish line, can they somehow channel energy through willpower to finish strong?"

"Eh, so that's what a marathon is huh." An unemotional sounding sarcastic remark from the sixth prince. _"Give it up to Cornelia for her to know stuff as useless as this."_

_/_

Cornelia threw an angry scowl at his direction. Lelouch was truly poking her limit, but she reined in the storm in her mind. She was the teacher here and as such she needed to display sense of calmness and control.

Still looking down at him, she remembered that this was simply his character. A pampered, lazy, scheming, genius who, despite very interested in the whole world of manipulation, was equally allergic to any physical demanding activities.

There was simply no reason for her to lose her wit because of him.

/

"The whole point about this was to show that unlike humans, manators have the ability to directly control or manipulate the energy within them. That is why…." She touched her chest. "…..we are called Manipulators. Not because we can control nature, but because we can directly and consciously influence the flow of energy within us." She relaxed her sights but closing her eyes.

"_Hmm, that's interesting."_ Lelouch glanced at her. _"So they are called Manipulators, because they can control the energy within themselves. How is that even possible?"_

Unveiling her sights, she released her right hand from her chest and lifted it upwards to her face. She scrutinized the lines drawn on her palm.

"Manators are not only able to channel the flow of energy within them," She resumed. "…but we can also feel it, sense how much is there and directly control how much we use for a technique."

Extending her palm away from her face, she reached out to the flames.

"In essence, our genetic or bloodline traits allow us to both feel the energy within ourselves and also hijack the energy within nature; thus the birth of manator is born."

Lelouch squinted, trying to focus on what he was witnessing.

"_What is that?"_

He noticed how the vapor from the fire was slowly trying to reach her hand, like a malleable metal, snaking its way towards her magnetic hand. The thick gas wrapped around her hand like a string.

His eyes stretched, awed at what he was just seeing.

"Wow!" He whispered, but in the silence that the two were in, his expression was very much heard by Cornelia.

Cornelia gaze was still locked at the flames on the plate, but her tight lips smiled slightly; not broad enough to be noticeable by Lelouch.

She was excited to hear such a phrase from this hard to impress genius.

She remembered how Marianne was the only one capable of causing Lelouch to awe at something. She recalled the time when Marianne first displayed a small dose of her brilliance manipulation skills in front of her son.

"Okay Lelouch, now that I've explained the foundations of manipulation, I will move on to the basics and maybe perform a demonstration to you." She smirked at his shocked face and noticed the spark in his eyes.

She walked away, heading towards the middle of the arena. Lelouch quickly followed.

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They stood in the middle of the mat. Euphie's listless body had been moved to a special mat for observers behind one of the pillars inside the dojo.

"Well then." She held up her palm in a welcome sign gesture, essentially welcoming Lelouch to the world of manipulations.

"There are two basic forms or categories of element manipulation." With her hand fully retracted to her side, she properly faced him.

"They are conjuring and bending. And I will start with conjuring, which is essentially controlling your surroundings with your energy to create special phenomena." She maintained eye contact with the attentive kid.

/

"With conjuring, one can create illusions, attack targets in a distance, and more, but how is it done?"

Slightly stepping away, she raised three fingers at him.

"Three?" Lelouch asked in a puzzle tone.

"Yes three! That's how many steps a conjuring move must always follow. These steps are Initiation, Ignition, and Birth. And they must always precede one another in the order listed."

/

Lowering two of her fingers and leaving only the index standing, she began with the first step.

"First is the Initiation. The Initiation for both conjuring and bending is Hand-Seals; and this true regardless of your element."

"Hand-seals." He murmured and frowned a bit, but still kept his eyes at her.

"Hand-seals are performed to channel our energy to a specific location within our bodies. You will see why this step is crucial to conjuring when I explain the second step which is the Ignition." She stated, raising her middle finger to create the number two gesture with her already raised index.

/

"The Ignition is how we release our internal energy and connected it to the outside world or nature."

She lowered her raised hand, along with her fingers.

"Remember what I said earlier about energy?" Cornelia asked but it was more of rhetorical statement.

"Umm, you said a lot of things about energy." Lelouch replied; darting his eyes away while tilting his head to the side to avoid what was bound to come.

Already he felt the pressure of squinted gaze.

/

She was not expecting a response, but was nonetheless incensed with the manner of his answer.

"Yes, I did and if you had paid attention instead of acting like a brat…." Cornelia's angry tone pierced into his ears. As she leaned forward, her monstrous figure swallowed his increasingly shrinking one. "….then you would have realized that….." She held her tongue after realizing that Lelouch was squirming with fear.

/

"Huh!" She grabbed the bridge of her nose. "What I was hoping you would say was how manators have the ability to control their own internal energy….." She raised her left palm to symbolize internal energy. "…..and the ability to hijack the energy within nature or nature energy." Likewise she pointed her right palm—to symbolize nature energy—at him.

With both palms leveled and facing him, she resembled an angel—without wings—welcoming a lost soul. But Lelouch knew she was no angel.

"_You should have been more specific with your question." _Of course he didn't want a death wish by revealing his thoughts out loud so he opted to go along and pretend that he was the one at fault.

/

After witnessing a nod from him, along with his meek facial expression, Cornelia resumed, satisfied that the boy had learned his lesson.

"In order to perform a technique, we need to hijack the energy within the surrounding nature or nature energy." She swayed her right palm at him. "We hijack this nature energy by fusing it with our own internal energy." She waved her left palm at the mentioning of internal energy.

"From this combined energy…." She clasped both palms together, interlocking her fingers. "…..can we create a special phenomenon or perform conjuring technique." She spoke with emphasis on her clenched hands.

"This is what the Ignition step is. It allows us to first release our internal energy and then it molds or fuses it with the surrounding nature energy."

"That allows us to takeover and controls our bloodline nature as manators." She freed her interlocked hands, parting them away to her sides.

/

Lelouch furrowed brows gazed at her figure. He needed to clarify something.

"So….." He tried to wrap his head around his thoughts. "….this Ignition step allows you guys to control elements through your released internal energy, _like that fire trick involving the vapor wrapping around her hand."_

He frowned at the floor near her feet. _"But what about that 'BURN' trick? How did she do that one….WAIT!" _His unspoken exclamation widened his eyes. _"She didn't perform hand-seals."_

"You are right with your assessment." Her voice interrupted him.

"With our energy fused with the nature energy, we can control nature energy like it's our own. And when we have control over nature energy, we can perform moves with it, physically."

"Fused!" Lelouch whispered with enlarged eyes staring at Cornelia.

"Huh?" Cornelia raised a brow at his astonished face.

"That FIRE." He yelled in excitement. "That fire over there." Turning to his side, he jabbed at the tiny fire plate in the distance.

"That fire…..it has your internal energy fused with it. Doesn't it?" The jittery kid asked. His fists oscillated up and down as he anxiously waited for a confirmation from Cornelia, who gazed at him with a raised brow. _"What is he so excited about?"_

_/_

After a waiting moment past, Cornelia leveled her brow. "That fire is already filled with some internal energy, _the internal energy of the clan leader." _She glanced to the side.

"YES! I KNEW IT!" He pumped his fist high, praising his detective skills. "WAIT!" He froze, leaving his triumphant fist pump hanging in the air. "How did you do it without hand-seals?"

Cornelia smirked at him. "Well, why don't solve it Mr. Tiny Fist?"

He lowered his miniscule fist following her insult and frown at the floor in thoughts.

"Well you said that conjuring always involves those three steps and they always precede one another. Sooo….." He clutched his chin and narrowed his eyes at her. "….the only explanations are first…." His right index made a one sign. "…you performed the first step of conjuring—the Initiation which is also the hand-seals without me noticing it oooorrrr…" He rubbed his chin and squinted at her. "…..your tricks had to be related to the second type of manipulation, the Bending."

/

"Hmm!" With her eyes closed and chin pressing down near her chest, Cornelia's sealed lips smiled. She looked very arrogant with her expression but her thoughts were filled with admiration for the kid.

"It's closely related to your second point, the bending, _well some of it were. The first had to do with my bloodline trait."_

_/_

Lelouch etched a smug smile on his face, which slightly annoyed Cornelia, so she decided to resume.

"Can we move on?"

Lelouch's smug face nodded to her to proceed.

/

"Now then….." Cornelia halted herself even before she began and guarded her mouth with her hand. Knitting her brows in concentration, she glanced upwards at the ceiling, pondering. _"I should probably explain this to him."_

She freed her mouth. "One more thing, before we move to the last step." She locked sights with his frowned face.

"I said we perform hand-seals—or the Initiation—to gather our internal energy to a specific location within our body. Then we release it with the Ignition step, but I never explained how." She edged closer.

"To understand how, imagine we were both deaf. In order for either of us to notice the other's presence, we would have to either see or touch the other person." She rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Now let's take earth manators, for example. When they perform their hand-seals—and this Ignition step varies with each Bloodline…." She leaned closer to stress on that point. "…but after forming their hand-seals, their internal energy mostly gathers at their hands and feet. Then they sometimes perform the Ignition step by touching the ground. This connects their energy with the earth's energy which they can then control."

"Ohh!" Lelouch's mouth and eyes grew wide."So this Ignition step is achieved by connecting to your element, physically….." He emphasized that word greatly. "…..with your internal energy. That allows the two sets of energy to come in contact and fuse."

"Well it doesn't have to be physical, it can also be visual." She released her soft palm from his shoulder. "Overall, the Ignition step varies with each bloodline and clan."

"I will show how fire manators usually perform this step." She walked away again once more.

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With her back facing him, she resumed.

"The last step, which shouldn't be counted as a step, is after fusing your energy with nature's energy, you, the manator, would sense that the moment is now." She glimpsed over her shoulder to find the child listening intently.

"At that moment, you simply let your move go, but…." She turned her head to gain a full view of him. "….this step, if not performed properly can result in your destruction."

Lelouch heart jumped. He enlarged his eyes at her, before relaxing them back down to create a confused frown.

With depressed lips, he timidly asked, "how?"

"This last step, or the Birth step, involves your posture, in order words, your body stance." She turned to face him properly. She needed to drive this point into him. Why? She had no idea.

"Your stance must be the right one upon the release of your move. You can't perform a fire release technique while sitting down on a chair for an instance. All the bent up gas in your lungs might cause you to explode."

"Huh!" Lelouch wondered what kind of situation would force anyone to perform such a dangerous move while sitting.

"I don't know about the other bloodlines, but for us fire manators; this step is relatively easy but it can also be very deadly if not done properly" She turned to walk away again.

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"Now that the explanation is over, it's time I showed you a very simple basic fire manator move." She took a spot near the middle of the mat, facing the back of the dojo.

"_Yes!"_ Lelouch balled his hands into fists in excitement. _"It's about time."_

"The technique is called Fire Style: Bulging Fire Spit."

/

"Fire Style?" Lelouch paraphrased.

"It's custom to declare your element type followed by the word 'Style.' You always say your move's name in your head before you release it."

Glancing back at him, she said, "It helps you to mentally prep up your body."

"So you never say your move's name aloud?" Lelouch asked Cornelia who was now stretching her back.

"Well yes, you normally don't…mmm…..because you want to….mmm…..deceive your opponent." Her voice stretched along with her back that she was stretching.

"Mmmmmm." She moaned while she flexing her back with her arms raised high above her head. A few spinal cracks sounded from her back. Her breasts accentuated on her chest—but with Lelouch behind her, she cared less about her chest.

"But you know if your opponent knows your move because of your hand-seals, then it really doesn't matter."

She relaxed her arms and shoulders after she was finished. Then she nudged her head for him to come closer.

Once he was next to her and within her sight, they began.

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"There are only four hand-seals to the Bulging Fire Spit technique. You start with the Tiger Seal." She formed the Tiger Seal by clasping both hands together with both index fingers, middle fingers, and thumbs from each hand raised and pointed upwards together—and parallel to their counterpart. The remaining fingers of both hands—the ring fingers and pinkies—were interlocked together.

Lelouch leaned forward. His frown eyes stared sternly at her formed seal, studying the details of it. _"So this is a seal."_

"The Tiger Seal stands for Power and it is also the Reserve Seal for the Fire Bloodline."

"Reserve Seal?" Lelouch raised both eyebrows. "What is that? You never mentioned anything about that."

"Out of the 11 Hand-Seals we use to perform conjuring and bending techniques, 5 of them are known as Reserved Seals."

"_There are 11 of them!" _He thought.

"They are called Reserve Seals because they are reserved for each of the Five Main Bloodlines and they are special because each Bloodline has its own unique Reserve Seal meaning they must always be performed FIRST" She raised her tone to stress on that word.

"Again, all manators must always form their bloodline's Reserve Seal first in any conjuring or bending move."

"Why?"

"By forming it first, I'm essentially telling my internal energy that 'hey, we are about to perform a fire related move, so get ready!'"

"So the reserve seals prep up your internal energy and body in general for a technique."

"Yes." She beamed a warm smile; satisfied that he was catching on quick. _"If only he was a manator…..." _She shut her eyes tightly to regain focus; no use in thinking of something that was never going to happen.

/

Bringing her Tiger Seal closer to her chest, she unsealed it to demonstrate the second seal.

The next seal is the Dragon Seal." And the seal was formed.

Lelouch squinted at it for a while until he relaxed his sights, satisfied with the seal's formation. _"Hm!_ _It looks simple enough."_

Her hands were clenched together but pointed at Lelouch—and away from her face. From that angle, Cornelia could look down and see the purple nails of her thumbs.

While her three main fingers—the index, middle, and ring fingers—were interlocked together, her pinkies were touching each other but pointed squarely downwards; away from the rest of the locked fingers. Meanwhile her thumbs were slightly raised above the interlocked fingers with the left thumb resting on top of the right thumb.

Unlike her pinkies, her bended thumbs, just like her interlocked fingers, were pointed at Lelouch and away from her face. Again, such a way that she could see the flat, top part of her thumb nails.

/

"This Dragon Seal stands for Speed and it's the Reserve Seal of the Lightning Bloodline." Her voice was flat.

Lelouch's eyes quivered.

"It's also a reserved seal?" He whispered to himself. "But I thought….._Wait!" _He glanced away from her seal hands._ "She never said the other bloodlines couldn't use other reserve seals besides their own."_

Cornelia noticed his slight reaction. Piercing together his whispers, she guessed on his quandaries.

"Once you form your own bloodline Reserve Seal first, you can use any of the 11 seals afterwards. It doesn't matter if they are reserve seals or not."

"Oh, okay! That makes sense."

/

Cornelia released her hands to form the third seal.

"This is the Snake Seal and it stands for Strength or Compact. Forming it is just simply clenching your hands together like you're praying."

"Unlike the Dragon Seal, there is no deviation with this one. Just make sure it's facing you properly." She added a few more details.

"_That's simple to do."_ Lelouch observed her Snake Seal.

"You do have to make sure that your left thumb is laying on top of your right thumb." She explained this tiny difference, and twisted her seal-hand closer for him to see this difference.

"Hm, just like the Dragon Seal. With that one, you also had your left thumb on top of your right one."

"That's because the Dragon Seal and Snake Seal are very much alike. In fact both are Reserved Seals."

"Really?"He exclaimed his shock.

"Yes, but this seal however belongs to the Earth Bloodline….." She revealed more to him. "…..while the Dragon Seal belongs to the Lightning Bloodline. And remember that those two Bloodlines are very complimentary to one another."

/

Unsealing her Snake Seal praying like gesture, her hands move to form the last seal.

"Now, the final seal to Bulging Fire Spit is once again the Tiger Seal." She performed the Tiger Seal.

"So all the hand-seals on this move are Reserved Seals?" He raised a brow at her.

"Yes." She unsealed her hands. "It is our most basic move after all."

"Huh!" He wondered what age fire manators had to be before they could perform a conjuring. _"Maybe it comes with natural talent!"_

"Now then, time to put everything together and reveal the final product."

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"Okay Lelouch, just stay where I told you to." Cornelia announced as she faced the back tiled wall within the dojo.

This wall of tiles was composed of reinforced carbon-carbon—RCC—heat absorbent material and then on top of the RCC, a glass glazed coating of borosilicate, which would dissipate most of the flames upon contact to shield the RCC material beneath it. It also gave the tiles its black looking style.

Overall, this wall would be able to withstand temperatures up to 3000 degrees Fahrenheit or 1650 degrees Celsius.

/

Lelouch, after being forced to stand behind her, was pouting while he stared at her purple long mane.

/

Cornelia wanted Lelouch behind her for two reasons: the obvious one being the safety factor, but more importantly, it was to conceal her bloodline eyes. _"He's not ready to learn about the Arangan. Actually, as long as he's not a manator, he should never know anything about it."_

Cornelia, herself, wasn't at the level where she could conjure up a move without the activation of her Arangan. Her Arangan was part of her ignition. She needed it to physically cast out the flames, but not during the hand-seals process even though it made it much easier.

She closed her eyes tightly, reminding herself to train even more.

"Get ready, Lelouch!" Her slightly muffled voice revealed her intentions.

/

Lelouch, not wanting to miss any moment of this, decided to inch closer to his side to gain a better angle.

Besides his mother, he had never witness anyone else manipulate something. The anticipation was too much for him to just stand behind her back.

"OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH!" Cornelia commanded!

Lelouch froze in his footsteps. His angle of view had improved but a lock of Cornelia's purple hair obscured her face. He could at least see her sides properly; her left hand was more visible, along with the side view of her bulging chest mounds.

"Don't take another step, Lelouch, or this demonstration is over!"

"Okay!" Lelouch replied in a tight, nervous voice.

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"This is it!" Cornelia closed her eyes once again.

She breathed in and out and then in and out once more.

/

Standing still for a while, her hands quickly moved to her chest and then her hands formed all four seals—TIGER, DRAGON, SNAKE, TIGER—almost like a flash of lightning

"Hand-seals" He whispered as his enlarged eyes tracked the quick first step.

Finished with the seals, Cornelia raised a right hand gesture near to her chin and this gesture had her index and middle fingers pointed upwards and pressed together while her thumb held down the remaining fingers on her palm.

/

She had essentially formed a number two hand gesture and it was aligned in such a way that the palm of her right hand was facing the left side of her body.

She pressed the number two right hand gesture close to her mouth, just below her pink lips.

/

Inhaling a gasp of air through her nostrils and her slightly opened lips—and letting it fill her mouth and chest full—she arched her back and raised her chest.

/

Then in a flash, she thrust her head forward and opened both her eyes wide, exposing the full circle of her reddish Arangan irises. Screaming the words _"Fire Style; Bulging Fire Spit"_ mentally, she blew out the concentrated air through her lips.

The air ignited as soon as they streaked over the long purple finger nails of her two raised, pointed fingers—the index and middle finger—from her number two right hand gesture.

Her long luscious finger nails, it seemed, ignited the air that she blew out. The air caught on fire like a stream of fuel and the orange flames that were born, raced forward like a contrail from a jet engine.

The head of the streaking flames was bulgy, like a mushroom cap and the flames that followed this mushroom cap head was streamlined; much slimmer and thinner than their bulge head.

It looked like a fire mushroom, but with thinner body racing towards the black tiled wall.

/

Lelouch expanded his mouth like a whale sucking in its meal and strained his eyelids to the limit.

He had never seen anything as wild as this before.

His mother might be a genius, but the fire manipulation demonstrations she had performed for him and his siblings only consisted of creative substances, such as creating fire shaped symbols like a love-heart sign or tossing a fireball from her hand to the sky only to magical make it transform into a fiery bird—he still doesn't know how—which would then fly for a while before exploding into a grand firework.

In essence, it was like a circus show.

But this, this was constituted of raw power. His enlarged, quivering eyes watched the stream of fire gushing from Cornelia's tiny natural pink lips as it raced forward; led by their bulgy head.

{Thump!} His ears prickled from the sound of the flames crushing into the fire resistant tiled wall.

/

"Amazing!" He uttered when he sensed the radiating heat wave blasting his cheeks.

His bloated eyes noticed the drop in light caused by the bright orange flames. The orange light from the pure orange fire had engulf the white lights within the arena; darkening the texture and appearance of everything inside.

Cornelia's fire technique went on for about 20 more seconds before she ceased her blowing.

She straightened herself and lowered her right hand from her lips. She watched as the flames died out in packets of lines; suspended within the air, now that there were no more air from her mouth to fuel them.

/

She heaved long strides of breath as she deactivated her reddish Arangan. Closing her eyes entirely to calm herself down, her ears picked up the sound of the AC starting.

{HMMMZZZZZ}

Her move had soared the temperature within the dojo to an outstanding value. She felt a strand of her hair getting glued to her sweaty forehead and cheek.

She turned her face to witness the stunned face of her little student. A close-lip smirk appeared on her face.

She turned and was planning to walk towards the frozen prince, but he instead sprinted to meet her halfway instead.

"That was AMAZING! I've never seen anything as exhilarating as that before. Mom's acts might be beautiful and captivating, but that, that was THRILLING! You are amazing, Cornelia!" He shrieked like a kid for the first time in his life.

Cornelia looked at the excited kid with a gawk expression, stunned to see such a childish, innocent side of Lelouch and surprise to see him praising someone other than his mother.

/

She closed her mouth and droop her head low, hoping her long purple hair would form a bang to obscure her blushing checks.

"_Thanks Euphie!"_

She never thought she would be thanking her for violating their clan codes. But she didn't care anymore.

It was worth seeing Lelouch excited like this.

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Cornelia and Lelouch were standing near an AC vent within. The purple princess had a towel draped over her shoulders; her shirt tossed somewhere away from her body.

"Ahhh, that feels nice!" She relaxed while standing under the cool air.

A quick glance and she noticed the boy waiting on her.

/

"Wow! Such a powerful move was your most basic move?"

"Well, it's basic because of the few number of seals…."

"You only used three types of hand-seals: the Tiger…." Lelouch eagerly had interrupted her. "….followed by the Dragon, the Snake, and then finally another Tiger Seal, but why did you bring your right hand to your face." Lelouch formed the number two hand gesture with his right hand to demonstrate his point.

/

"Did you see how I brought it close to my face?"

"Mmhhhmm!" He hummed and nodded in response.

"After forming my seals, my internal energy gathered inside my chest area and also inside my mouth." She tapped her towel covered chest.

"I connected with nature's energy by inhaling the surrounding air."

"Air?" A puzzle brow was raised at the sweaty Cornelia.

"Yes air. Fire needs air to come alive. That's why a few fire manators can also manipulate air or became dual manators with air as their secondary element."

Lelouch's tired right hand flopped to his side, while his slight gaped mouth revealed his astonishment. Stroking his chin, he pondered on this new revelation. "You know…..that actually makes sense. Fire needs oxygen to combust."

/

"Lelouch!" Cornelia called to him in a low flat voice.

He broke his stroking and looked up to her.

/

"Don't you know we have one in our mist?"

"Who?" Another raised eyebrow. "A dual manator of fire and air?"

/

Holding back the response for moment, Cornelia then revealed the identity. "Lady Marianne."

Lelouch's eyebrows raised themselves in conjunction with his outstretched eyes and wide mouth.

"Your mother." Cornelia's soft voice spoke to his shock face. "She's known as the Flash because of her speed which is attributed to her ability to control air."

/

"Plus she uses her fire skills to sometimes super heat the air molecules which renders them useless to her opponents." She gazed down at her right palm with downcast eyes, wondering when she could be as strong as her.

Realizing they were deviating, she balled her palm into a fist with a strong determination. _"I will reach up to her one day so I can serve along her side."_

_/_

Lelouch relaxed eyes gazed at the floor

"_Wow! Mother is dual mana….." _

"Enough side tracks." She had interrupted his thoughts. "We were talking about internal energy, right?"

"Uhhh yes. Something about inhaling air."

"Ahh, I remember." She fist tap her left palm with her right fist. "So I inhaled the air to let it fuse with my concentrated internal energy. This was one part of the Ignition. The other part was when I brought that hand gesture close to my lips." She brought her number two gesture close to her mouth.

"The sign resembles a half-Tiger seal and it's actually called the Seal of Confrontation. It is not part of the 11." She waved her left hand to clarify that.

"But my Seal of Confrontation was also filled with internal energy."

/

"So when I blew the mixed energy air out through my lips like I was whistling, my two finger nails—filled with internal energy—ignited the air streaking over it, thus giving birth to fire."

"Wow. It seems very simple."

"It is." She gripped the towel, hanging around her neck and shoulders. "You should always watch your posture." She began to walk away.

"But you know as long as you're not restricting your chest once it is filled with mixed air and your internal energy, then you're fine. Your move will come out right."

She was now bending down in front of the mini fridge.

"Hey wake Euphie up. It's time you head home, _before Olivia convinces your mother to launch a search party for you." _A sad cynical grin appeared on her face while she held the frigid water bottle.

* * *

Faraway: Back at the District

"Okay Marianne," Olivia plumped down next to Marianne in the couch. Pulling the living room table closer to their couch, she flattened a map of their District on the table. "We need start our search here." Olivia frantically pointed to the red circle on the map.

"Huh!" An exhausted sigh from Marianne. "I think he's fine."

"How do you know?" Olivia fierce eyes peered into Marianne's sleepy ones. Grabbing both sides of Marianne's cheeks, she began to brainwash the Flash Empress.

"Marianne! He's your only son. You need to protect him with your life. What if he's in trouble right now?"

That statement woke Marianne up. Freeing herself from Olivia's grip, she frowned at the map, studying their possible search locations.

"Now as I was saying, we need to start here….." Olivia began to explicate her search priorities before….

/

"Madam!" Miss Kaniz, with her straight-face, interrupted.

"What?" A slight yell from Olivia; upset about the interruption since she had Marianne in her grip.

/

Without batting an eye, Kaniz calmly answered the reason for her disruption. "As you requested, I've contacted numerous people to join the Search Party. A few said they would get back to me later, but Prince Clovis said he will join the Search Party."

"YES!" A shout of excitement from Olivia.

"I say Gabrielle's kid is really a nice boy" She showered Clovis with praise to Marianne.

/

"Wait!" She paused her beaming, remembering that the prime bachelor heir within the District wasn't mentioned by her subordinate. "What about Schneizel?"

"Unfortunately, he said he couldn't join as of yet. He was booked with an unavoidable meeting with some members of parliament. But to show his support, his was dispatching his assistances to join the Search Party."

"Huh!" A sad whimper was emitted by the downcast Empress. "Well at least we will have more hands to help us."

Marianne noticed her friend's dejected demeanor. _"She really wanted that kid to come." _

Then FLASH; a thunderstruck moment occurred in her mind. Her eye slightly widened to express her sudden realization that it was probably for her oldest daughter.

"Speaking of hands, where is Cornelia?" She asked the room.

/

"Who?" A dry response from the once gloomy figure.

/

Marianne's downward smile expressed her dissatisfaction with her friend's ignorance. Her deadpan gaze spoke volumes to her fuchsia friend. _"Don't play that game with me. We all know why you wanted Schneizel to come along."_

Olivia shook her head, saying, _"I don't know what you're talking about."_

_/_

A few moments of intense stand-off stares between the two Empresses and then….

"That's it! I'm out of here." Marianne jumped off the couch and off this Search Party.

"WAIT! Where are you going?" Olivia, in shock, reached out for her friend.

"Anywhere but here."

"Well do you want to start the search at that….." Olivia voiced died out as she chased after her friend out of the room.

/

Miss Kaniz, now alone, sighed. "Huh, I want a vacation."

* * *

Back At The Dojo

"Uuuhh come on! Why can't you show me the Bending stuff?" Lelouch continued his whining.

"We don't have time." A grumble replied.

"You already showed me the Conjuring stuff. Why can't you just finish the job and show me the Bending stuff?"

With Euphie on her back, Cornelia was increasing reaching her limit. She gnashed her teeth from the continuing droning by the kid behind her.

/

"Please just one fact about Bending!"

"Okay, first off…" She paused in her strides. "…you were not supposed to be here. Second…" She turned to face him. "…you're not even a manator to begin with. Why should I…" She froze her raging tongue. Her limit had been breached and thus her poison words flew out like startle bats leaving a cave.

Glancing down at the silent kid, she was stricken by the anguish look on his face.

/

He gaped at Cornelia and for a moment felt tears forming on his eyes, so he did the only thing he could do. He lowered his head and walked past her.

/

"Lelouch, I'm….." She didn't know what to say. The kid marched ahead and out towards their awaiting parked vehicle.

**Flashback: Four Months Ago ENDS**

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* * *

**BACK TO THE CELL**

"_That's probably why I had forgotten about this encounter." _Lelouch regarded his palm while he rested his back on the stone cold floor of his cell.

"_Her words really hurt me back then." _He closed his eyes, remembering some of the attempts by Cornelia to apologize. She even went far to reveal one fact about Bending.

"_When it comes to Bending, you always end the Hand-Seals with a CLAP. Other than that, the Initiation is the same as Conjuring." _He replayed her words.

/

Staring at his ceiling with a long face, he pondered about what to do.

"_Should I practice the Hand-Seals here?" _

_/_

"_No! Not with the camera here. They would recognize my seals and possible inform the Emperor or any other figures with an interest in me." _He squinted at his dark ceiling.

/

"_I wonder if they've been watching me the whole time. What did they think about me pouring water into my hands like that?"_

"Hm!" A slight chuckle with his eyes closed. Adjusting his folded pillow arms underneath his head, he reopened his visions to the dim lit ceiling.

"_They probably think that I've lost it. One moment, I am sitting down quiet staring at the candle. The next I'm meditating with water in my hands." _He blinked a couple times, before fully closing his eyes.

"_And now they will be saying, 'he's just staring at his ceiling, Sir. The dishonor prince is slowly losing his mind.'" _A small lopsided smile etched on his face.

"_But this is good. This is very good. This way they will be very casual around me; maybe even sympathetic. I might even pry some info from them such as stuff about the trial." _His internal persona laughed wildly.

/

"_The only things to do now are to rest and….." _He froze his thoughts and focused on the nearby vibrations.

"_Four? Four people with heavy steps." _His brows furrowed, pressing down on his shut eyes, as the felt the footsteps getting closer, and closer, and stronger to his cell.

{CLANK} The metal door sealing the hallway opened. And subsequently the bright hallways flashed on.

He slowly revealed his sights to meet a fairly lit cell-room.

/

{THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP} They knocked on his glass cell door.

"HEY WAKE-UP!" The knocker commanded.

/

Getting off his back, he titled his neck at them. _"The guys who came here last time….are they with them?" _Twisting his behind on the floor, he faced them properly and noticed the young guy from last time was with them.

"Get up and march to the back of your cell." The knocker spoke through his glass cell barrier.

Suspicious grew within Lelouch as he leaned his head back and narrowed his eyes at them. _"This is new."_

_/_

"Boy, I will not say this twice. Get up and walk to the back of the cell." The knocker, who seems to be the alpha, threatened. He was not as big and bulky as the first guy that brought him his disgusting meal, but he seemed build with his muscular tone arms.

A little apprehension appeared on his face, but nonetheless he began to move his legs. Standing upright, he backpedaled to the back of his cell which was well lit by the bright hallway lights.

"Now turn around and face the back of your cell." The alpha swirled his hand around to emphasize his command.

/

A sense of jolt hit Lelouch. With his pressed lips looking depressed, he frowned at them. _"What is this?" _He pondered as his mind began to digest the meaning behind his commands.

"AGAIN!" The alpha grew impatient. "This will be the last time." His glare planted squarely at him. "TURN AROUND AND SPREAD YOUR ARMS OUT WIDE!"

/

Lelouch's frown grew stronger, but his gritted teeth began to show in distress. Fear and agitation had swallowed his thoughts. Sweat beads began to slide down on his back. _"What is going on?" _He eyes frantically darted around the four figures for any sign of projectile weapons.

His frowned eyes morphed into a wide frozen stare when he noticed the handguns in holsters attached to their hips. _"Are they going to…." _He gulped before reluctantly turning away from them to face the wall.

With no footwear on, he firmly planted the soles of his feet on the ground to see through the earth. It felt like he was watching them with his eyes and this soothed his mind a bit.

The four pair of legs remained fixed in their location outside his glass cell barrier.

"_It's okay! It's okay." _He calmed his thumping heartbeat._ "They won't kill me." _He swallowed more spits, before completing the alpha's orders to spread his arms out and wide.

/

Seconds later, he heard the familiar {Beep, Beep} sounds from the keypad. His cell door unlocked and he sensed three of them walking in.

{Gulp}. He swallowed more saliva as one of them stood at the left corner, inside his cell door—near his candle—while the other two walked straight for his back.

His breath grew heavy as the two got closer. Then….

* * *

**A/N: **I know. I'm a jerk for lying but hey, that's what you get for listening to me.

PS. If you guys want, you can review a bit on Naruto Hand Seals. Just type that into Google and look at the pictures.

I promise to not bombard you guys again with them…..(-_^) Actually, Don't listen to me. You SHOULDN'T take my word on that.


	8. Chapter 8: CG Arc: Judgment Part 6

**A/N: **Don't read and think like I've betrayed you. I didn't.

The last Judgment Arc is finished (I could post it all today, but it will be full of grammar errors and others).

But I, instead, posted this because of the suspense in it.

And that's what I'm going to do. The last arc has too many suspense and revelations so **I'm going torture you all by posting them in tidbits :)**

So come back a day, or two, or three, or four for more tidbits of the last Judgment Arc.

**Enjoy **and thanks for the **Reviews**. I will fix the grammar as I see them.

* * *

Chapter 8: Judgment Part 6

**THE GENDERLESS KID**

**November 13****th****, 2009; Past 3PM**

His breath grew heavy as the two got closer. Then….

/

…cold leathery hands grabbed both his hanging wrists.

Pain shot throw his arms as they twisted them to his back.

"_Fuck!"_ He winced and wiggled his arms, forcing them to press his back more tightly. They fastened a pair of cuffs around his wrists.

/

A second later, his ankles were bounded too.

/

His right cheek tasted the wall as they pressed into him, forcing his right eye to shield itself against the dirt.

His remaining quivering eye frowned in pain while he pondered.

"_What….is this?…Cuffs?" _He had overreacted. Was he really expecting the worst?

/

"Move it!"

Grabbing his forearm, one of them forced his face off the wall and nudged him towards the exit.

/

Marching past the knocker, Lelouch glanced at the third fella near his candle stick and noticed a sack strapped to his back.

"_A sack?…..who carries a sack nowad….…_MMMM!" Another nudge to his back and he almost stumbled.

Pausing, he shot a quick scowling glance at the perpetrator behind him. _"Fuck, man!"_

/

"Keep Walking!"

Glaring at the exit ahead, he was met by a smirk from the young familiar officer posted outside.

"_What the fuck is he laughing about?"_

/

Outside, his soles absorbed this new ground. Scanning his left, he met the long dark corridor to nowhere. And on his right was a door. The same door that June had walked through earlier.

/

His longing eyes stared at the metal door. When will he be free…free to meet his family?

/

"I will take the lead."

/

The voice above alerted him. The owner once again showered his ugly arrogant smile at him.

"_So that's what he sounds like." _Lelouch frowned eyes tracked the familiar young, brown hair, officer as he headed towards the metal exit.

"_Pompous jerk…._OOMPH!"Another nudge from behind by yours truly. His insult…..untimely interrupted.

"Get moving!" He bellowed at Lelouch's back.

/

Glaring sideways, Lelouch gritted his teeth and cursed beneath his breath.

But nonetheless, he moved his feet.

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Noticing the object of his earlier obsession was now in full view; he scrutinized the cylindrical metallic pole and studied the keypad on top while on the move.

"_So that's how it is."_

This keypad also had a card reader system attached to the side.

"_An extra source of identification, ehh!" _He remembered how the Bulky guy, who delivered his meal with that arrogant bastard ahead, had a card in his hand.

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A few more steps and the shackled prince was passing through the opened metallic door. The door held for him by the young familiar officer.

/

Another long narrow corridor up ahead; this one, barely lit by the single swinging light bulb stranded in the middle—it seemed. But it was enough to spot the few metal doors on both sides.

/

Not knowing where to go, he waited.

/

"This way, your highness!" The arrogant officer gestured as he brushed past him.

/

Lelouch beamed death glares at his back.

"_Asshole!" _

/

But there was no time for insult. The other 'asshole' behind was getting closer.

/

Moving beyond his shoving radius, he glanced behind his shoulders at him. _"Where are they taking me, actually?...Wait a minute!" _He flared his eyes wide in shock and slowed his pace.

"_Only two?" _He had realized that they were two men short.

/

Four camo-clad men came to his cell, but two were escorting him? That math didn't add up.

/

Assuming that the missing two had stayed behind….in his cell was his only option. Since it was where he last saw the knocker or the alpha, and the guy with the bag strapped to his back.

/

"_Maybe they are going to clean my cell or change the candle…hold on!" _Would he ever return to his depressing underground chamber?

/

"DON'T SLOW DOWN!" The soldier shoved the distracted prince too strong. His knees came crashing down on the stony cold floor. Noisy shackles clamored throughout the corridor.

/

"You gotta walk faster, your highness!" Mr. Arrogant stood over him as he gathered himself.

/

Resting an elbow on a knee for a break, Lelouch's low, cold voice asked.

"Where are you taking me?"

/

"Hm!" Sir Haughty closed his eyes and sneered at the kneeing boy.

Walking away from the shackled prince, he stretched voice spoke. "If you walk faster, you will find out."

/

Lelouch glowered at him for a while before lifting himself to follow.

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Who knew marching through poorly lit corridors for minutes could be so taxing. It's not the physical aspect of it, but rather the suspense.

"_Where are we fucking going?" _He glanced at another metal door as it passed by. The all look the same. And with this darkness, he could barely make what's ahead.

"_Will it kill them to light this place up with some candles at least?"_

/

"Right this way!" The young officer opened a metal door for himself as he led the prince through another gateway.

/

"_Finally! Light." _Lelouch greeted a corridor different than the previous ones. Slightly wider, but missing a side.

The absence of a stony walled enclosure allowed handrails to exist on the left side of this corridor.

Without them, a plummet straight down to the court below would be one way to escape this place and reality altogether.

/

"Don't stop!" The officer behind had to exercised his sleepy tongue.

/

Trudging along, he kept his sights at the handrail, trying to peek at the court below. It was the first time he had seen wide open architecture in a while—a day and a half more like.

"_To have a large court in this underground dome…..How big is this place?" _

/

{BUMP} A crashing sound from below the court was accompanied by a tremor.

Startled, he planted his feet firmly to the ground to hold himself upright. His enlarged eyes stared at the floor beneath him as his breath quickened.

"_What the hell….." _Realizing that the source came from the court below, he jolted to the handrail, away from the two soldiers—who seemed unfazed.

/

Grasping the handrails, Lelouch peered below into the court.

/

"What the fuck…is that?" Had to speak with wide lips gawking at the bizarre scene down below.

/

Below…..

Large earth-made spikes had grown from the ground. All slanted in one direction and facing the front end of the court.

/

Like a sound wave, radiating from the source with curved waves that propagated through a medium; these slanted spikes, likewise, held the same traits.

An epicenter with a small curved-line of slanted spikes. Afterwards, curved-rows after curved-rows of slanted spikes—with each generation of spikes growing in size—formed a parade of spike waves.

Bigger but fewer as they widened their waves and raced towards the front.

But with the concrete wall ahead, they had crashed into it; puncturing holes wider than his body.

/

The dust from the collision site was still rising, obscuring the accident scene, but Lelouch saw how some of the spikes had broken off upon contact with the wall while others had punctured right through it, unscathed.

/

What about the epicenter? Cueing his sights away from the impact site, he was…..flabbergasted.

"Wha…." Too stunned to complete his word, he was joined at the handrail by his two escorts as they nonchalantly walked over to witness the scene of destruction.

/

Sensing their presence, he asked, "Who is that?"

/

The source of these spikes was a human; no a kid.

"A girl…." He whispered after spotting the obvious long blonde hair. Lelouch felt that this person was the same age as him, but the hair. The hair was astoundingly long for this person's size. The face was hidden by it and it sprawled all over the ground.

Well, kneeing down with both hands on the ground might exaggerate the length of the hair.

/

Meanwhile the two men weren't as mesmerized as the prince.

"_Uhhh nice…this is real nice." _The young brown haired officer winced in annoyance. _"Every freaking time he's on break…..huh, we might have to cut his break short or he will trash this place….AGAIN."_

The brown hair officer glanced sideways to his partner to find the same exasperation look on his face. If the kid below was not reined in, they both—along with others—might end up shoveling his mess.

"_Why do we even allow him to have breaks?"_

/

Elsewhere, a captivated Lelouch studied everything about this person.

"_HANDS!" _He shouted inwards upon a realization. A recent flashback rushed to his thought.

_{"Now let's take earth manators, for example…after forming their hand-seals, their internal energy mostly gathers at their hands and feet. Then they sometimes perform the Ignition step by touching the ground. This connects their energy with the earth's energy which they can then control."} _Cornelia's voice reminded him.

/

"_Hands on the ground…and those spikes pointed away from her….." _His brain joined together the missing pieces and reached a conclusion.

"_This girl is an earth manator and that….." _He beheld the magnificent row of spikes that raced away from this kid. _"…that is a conjuring move."_

His gaze returned, trying to spot the face hidden by those blonde bangs.

"Who is she?"

/

"_She?" _Did he mishear him?

Looking over to his partner, the young soldier found the same wide eyes as his own.

No he didn't. He hadn't misheard the prince.

/

"_He thinks that kid is girl?" _The presumably 'girl' down below had enchanted the prince, who pressed himself against the rail to stare more.

/

"_Hm…."_ A smirk appeared on his face. _"It's because of his long hair that's why…." _He held back his chuckle.

/

His stern partner however thought this was enough. "Okay, let's go!" His grip on Lelouch's shoulder broke the curse inflicted by the spectacle below.

/

Lelouch flinched from the touch.

He yanked his shoulders free and distanced himself from the rail and him.

/

"It's okay. We are already here" A chuckle escaped from his mouth afterwards.

The young officer's words caused his partner and Lelouch to face him.

/

A couple steps and he stood beside a metal door; on the other side of the corridor, opposite from them and the handrails.

/

Lelouch walked over and stood in front of it. "What is this?" His question didn't come out right.

"It's a door silly!"

"_I fucking know it's a door….mmm!" _Lelouch bit his lip. He wished to inflict some thunderous pain on his grinning face.

/

Replacing his smile with a straight-frown face, the young soldier nodded to his other partner. "I'll take it from here." His tone was unusually low and stern.

His much older partner was reluctant, but nonetheless he turned and faded down the same path they had ventured in.

/

Lelouch stared at the retreating soldier and wondered about the rank this arrogant young officer behind him held in this place.

"What's going to happen to me?" Lelouch turned and was met by another smirking face. But the key he was twirling around his finger captured Lelouch's sights.

"Let me see those cuffs."

"_What?" _Both eyebrows rose up. Realizing that he was waiting for his wrists, Lelouch held them high to his face.

"You're…..you're setting me free?"

"Well you can't shower with shackles on your hands, now can you?" His cuffs fell to the ground.

"_Shower?..." _His wide eyes turned to the door. _"….that means this is…..."_

"….the bathroom." Was he reading Lelouch's mind? His creepy smile said maybe.

Lelouch winced in horror. _"Freak!"_

/

"Now, I'm going to release the ones on your ankles so don't try anything silly, okay." His close-lip smile earned a frown from the prince.

Taking his silence as a yes, he went ahead and freed his ankles.

Gazing down at the shackles below, Lelouch rubbed his wrists.

"You're starting to stink, so please do us a favor and go clean yourself in there."

"_Tsk." _Lelouch shot the man a glare, but it missed him since he had moved to unlock the metal entry.

/

Calming his soul down, he returned his sights back to the floor. "Will I be seeing my father very soon?"

/

"Not in this sorry shape." He patted the prince's head, causing the prince to wince in more horror.

"You outta be in your best shape if you hope to win his favor."

/

"_Uh!" _His widened eyes studied the man. This man was too confusing; his creepy arrogant smiles were one thing but now this surprise affection.

/

Prying the door open, he stepped aside for the prince.

When Lelouch was far inside the dimly lit bathroom, the door behind shut and startled him for a second.

"Have fun!" The officer bid his farewell through the metal barrier.

Glancing over his shoulders at the metal barrier with closed eyes, Lelouch felt his footsteps receding away.

_{"You outta be in your best shape if you hope to win his favor."}. _His parting words replayed in his thoughts.

Opening his eyes, he stared ahead into the empty abyss of the bathroom.

"_My trial will be very soon." _He clutched his fist with determination, subduing his trembling. He won't allow fear to crawl into him.

/

He exhaled for calmness. _"It's probably going to be tomorrow or the day after." _

He wondered whether that arrogant jerk knew the exact date.

/

"_It doesn't matter!" _He walked over to the one of the sinks and faced the large mirror above with firmly closed sights.

"_When the time comes…" _His eyes still shut.

"_I will face it." _He flared his eyes wide, revealing his yellowish irises. His bright ocular powers were the only thing visible on his dark face.

* * *

**A/N: **Stay tune for the next Tidbit; titled **The Little Operation.**


	9. Chapter 9: CG Arc: Judgment Part 7

**A/N:**

Second tidbit. The title is different.

* * *

**Aryan810101**: Thanks for the suggestion. Will check it out.

**thecatleader**: Hahahahahahahahahahaha :)

* * *

**Enjoy **and Thanks for the **Review. **I will fix the Grammar as I see them.

["Radio Conversation"]

**["Radio Response/Phone Line"]**

* * *

Chapter 9: Judgment Part 7

**DEAL'S DONE**

**November 13****th****, 2009; Noon**

Maelstrom Palace (At Imperial District)

Cloudy dark skies; the cold winds were picking up.

He glanced at the dried-up leaves as they blew past his car. He pressed a button and his front, driver-side window sealed up.

"_Is it gonna rain?"_

/

The wind whistled past his sealed car. It was quiet inside. He had been cooped up in there for hours now; waiting for the purple princess as she dined with the realm's prime bachelor.

/

"Huh…." He was getting drowsy; popped up an energy drink and took a sip.

/

More winds rattled past his car. He gazed outside. The front yard view of Margaret el Britannia's palace was breathtaking. Large, spacious green cut grass; lots of trees and mini flower gardens; and finally elegant grass figurines.

No wonder the Maelstrom Palace held the title as the biggest resident after the Emperor's Imperial Palace.

/

Resting his turquoise hair on the driver-side window, he felt forgotten. Parked alone in the roundabout driveway in this cold wind, he waited as ordered by his young purple haired commander.

/

The silence was too much, so on with the radio. Some finger pressing and the channel was on the local 103.5 FM.

/

A slight static noise before….

["Now more on today's main story, we have, on the line with us, NBC national security correspondent Diethard Ried."] A yippy female voice ended the silence.

["Diethard, thanks for joining us today."] She welcomed the correspondent who had called into the station.

/

"Ried?" The turquoise haired young man came alive. That name sounded familiar. If Ried was a reporter then chances were he had crossed path with him at the Clearance Center.

That's where he had been posted these couple weeks with the purple princess in command.

Journalists had been busing in and out of the District so guardsmen posted at the Clearance Center were very much occupied issuing security passes and what-not.

/

Diethard welcomed himself to the radio hosts.

["So Diethard, the deal is done. The Turks are getting the weapons."] The female voice revealed the banner.

/

"…_the arms-deal went through?" _The shock forced him to sit upright in his driver seat. He turned the volume up.

/

**["Yeah the talks went on longer than expected but both sides…finally…reached an agreement today."]** Diethard sounded glad the talks were over. Well, it had been going on for almost a year now.

["And with Turkish's president here, I'm sure both camps felt the need to wrap this deal up."] A new male voice joined the conversion; the female's colleague.

**["Exactly and hey listened….I'm sure the Emperor was very pleased with the support the Turks showed after the late Empress' death. Mr. Erdo****ğ****an even brought his entire cabinet and others to the capital for the funeral event**."]

"_More like he brought them for the talks, mostly." _The young guardsman added.

["So about the deal, do you think they got everything on their shopping list?"] The female hostess posted a question for the expert on the line.

**["Coming out of these talks, the Turks will feel good about what they got. They almost got everything besides the knightmares and a few stuff….."]**

"_Of course they won't get the knightmares….wait….what about the Dart Air Defense?" _The young officer edged closer to the stereo dashboard.

**["….the big ones they got were the F-31 stealth interceptors, the F-16S stealth strike fighters, and lastly the…..um…..Land-based Dart Air Defense System…."]** Diethard left the big one for last.

/

"I can't believe….." Shocked filled his throat.

["Wow…..it sounds like they pretty much got the big ones."] The female hostess was equally astonished.

/

["Diethard…"] The male host cut in. ["…any estimate on how much this deal was worth?"]

**["Yeah a single F-31 Foxhound cost around $75 million and they are getting 28 of them so that would be worth about $2.1 billion.…Add that to the $1.8 billion from the 32 F-16S Falcons plus the weapons, sensors, engines, and training that come with these jets and that's about….um…7 billion. Overall, I expect this deal to be worth close to $12 or $10 billion if we add the Darts"]**

**/**

"_I can't believe we sold them the Darts…." _He gripped his mouth to gather his thoughts. _"…..but only the land-based version huh…..with our fleet there, I guess there's no need for the sea-based version." _He turned down the volume to have some peace.

"_But why are we giving them these weapons? It will only stoke tensions with the EU. Greece is having on-going border disputes with Turkey….yet we gave them Darts along with the Foxhounds."_

/

**["…of course we have to remember that the EU won't be happy about this deal even though we constantly assured them that they are defensive weapons in nature."]**

["What kind of a response do you expect from them?"] The female asked.

**["Well, besides the usual condemnation rhetoric, I'm sure they would place their own Patriot Air Defense Systems in Greece and the island of Cyprus it controls. Expect to see some redeployment of fighter squadrons around the area."]**

["What about the Russians? What was their reaction?] The male host brought up the other superpower in that region.

**["They've been saying the same thing…and that is they don't want any conflicts to disrupt the shipping routes in the Aegean Sea…so a sense of neutrality from them but at the same time you feel they really object to this deal…."] **Diethard kept on going, but was tuned out by the young guardsman.

"_What are the brass thinking? This will definitely increase tensions…" _A silhouette caught his eye so he turned and saw his female commander marching through the cold wind; her hand shieling her face.

/

The radio was turned off. He stood outside and waited till she was near the armored car.

Cornelia looked flushed; a fever?

/

He saluted. "Your highness….."

"Take me home, Jeremiah." Cornelia wasn't in the mood for formalities.

/

He closed the passenger door when she was in. Seconds later the palace was behind them.

/

Jeremiah glanced at her from the rear-view mirror. She still looked flushed with her head drooping low. What happened during her meeting with Schneizel?

Jeremiah was worried. Should he ask? _"Yes."_

How? _"Just….keep it simple."_

What about formalities? Cornelia hated formalities when she was dealing with the units. _["It slows the team down"] _she says. _"So she won't mind." _

/

He sighed. Here goes….. "So how was the meeting with Prince Schneizel?"

/

She flinched wildly like she had been zapped by some current. Her cheeks brimmed with blood. Her eyes wide like an owl.

"Jeremiah….." Her voice was dark. Lifting her head, she crossed sights with the turquoise mane driver.

"….I think you should focus on the road." Her dark eyes peered through her curtain purple bangs.

"My apologies, your highness." His last words as his eyes became locked on to the road.

/

Cornelia had shut up him but now she couldn't focus. Jeremiah's inquisitiveness had freed the dogs within her.

"_Great…..now I can't stop thinking about it." _She bit her lip and balled her hands.

"_Damn it, damn it, damn it! Damn you, Schneizel." _She breathed hard while her head droop low.

/

"Fuck!" One more escaped from her mouth.

/

"_I can't believe…"_

* * *

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**Flashback**

"Cornelia….I thought you wanted to join me for a morning buffet." Schneizel took a sip of his coffee.

"But here you are…demanding more info." He sighed loudly in disappointed and seated his teacup back down.

/

Cornelia looked on with her straight-face. She couldn't refute his points. She was asking beyond her limit.

"Please Schneizel…if you know something then….." She was out of words. Her downcast eyes glanced away.

The second prince looked on, slightly stunned. _"Please?….she's apologizing….." _He ended his thoughts; a slight jealousy that Cornelia was willing to plead for that kid.

/

"It's okay Cornelia." Her face brightened upon hearing his words.

"No need to beg. We're family after all"

/

She edged her seat. "Then…"

"But…" He wasn't done. "It will cost you."

"What?"

"What….you expect me to reveal sensitive information for nothing?"

"But…." Cornelia gripped her seat. "But yesterday you gave…."

"Yesterday, I gave you info about the hearing…..father was planning for him, but…." He cupped his cheek. "…..that was just me paying my debt to him."

/

"Debt?" _"He owed Lelouch something?"_

"It's between us." He picked up his teacup. "Ask him if you want to know."

/

Cornelia's serious frown was at her untouched teacup.

"It will become cold if you don't drink it." He nodded towards her still untouched coffee.

/

Coffee was the last thing on her mind. "Okay….is there something you want?"

"Something that I want?" He raised a brow.

"Yes. Is there anything?"

"Hmm…." He tapped his teacup. "Are you sure it's wise for me to choose?"

"Yes, but in return you…." Her tone was sharp. "….let me in on everything you know about father's plan for the trial."

/

A moment of thought went by and concluded with him placing the teacup back on the saucer.

"Okay then….." Fingers on cheek again. "….you…me….on a date."

/

"Huh!" An eyebrow raised.

The words took a while to sink in. "WHAT?" Her cheeks were ripe like a tomato on her porcelain skin. "Wha…wha…wha…."

/

"I said, let's go on a date. And I don't mean a breakfast discussion like this." A lopsided-grin appeared on his face. He loved seeing her armor unravel like this.

"Wha…wha….wha…what are you…..what are talking about…a date?"

"Yes. Do we have a deal?"

/

Cornelia was speechless. Her eyes threatened to leap out. Realizing her cheeks were burning up, she clasped her face to hide her blush. Too late by now, but she looked anywhere but at him.

Her mind raced. She used to have feelings…..feelings for him, but she had convinced herself it was just pure admiration….if not….then just puppy love.

/

She was taking forever to decide so…..

"Mmmm…." Schneizel cheeks hummed as he chewed something. "These biscuits are very good. You should try some Cornelia."

Seeing those baked snacks flushed her cheeks with more blood and her mind with some buried past memories. _"Biscuits…." _Her enlarged eyes peered at them. She remembered baking Schneizel biscuits all the time….._"Ahhhhh…..STOP!" _She gripped her pony tail hair; screaming at her mind to cease the recollections.

Anything but those memories; memories of when she first experienced love; love towards the man in front of her.

"Are you okay?" He sounded concern but was enjoying every moment of torment.

/

Cornelia exhaled several times before clearing her throat fictitiously. "Okay."

"Okaaaay?" Schneizel stretched the word with a raised brow; daring her to say it.

Cornelia gripped her knees hard. "Okay…" Her drooped head was trembling. "I will….go out with you." She wanted to choke herself. No…..she wanted to choke him.

/

Schneizel's grin widened. He suppressed the bubbling laughter within. At the same time he was glad to have the table protecting him from her reach.

"Okay it's your turn." She growled at him. "Cough up what you know."

He calmed; ending the repressed mirth. "As the deal state, I will reveal what I know."

Cornelia became attentive. "Let's hear it."

"Yes…well what I know pertains to the time and location of the trial."

"_Huh…._Wait_..._That's it!" Cornelia surprised him.

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean….that's the only thing you're revealing…the time and location?"

"Yes, that's the only thing I know from father." Schneizel was very perplexed. Why was she upset?

/

Cornelia gritted her teeth and squeezed shut her eyes. "I agreed to go on a date…"

"Yes and I'm revealing everything I know…." Schneizel sensed danger from her.

"FUCK!" She yelled and opened her eyes. "I….you forced me to a….." Embarrassment conquered anger. Her shaky throat couldn't finish. She couldn't stop blushing as her eyes teared up.

/

"Huh..." Schneizel rubbed his nose-bridge. "Fine…I will owe you one, is that okay?" He peeked at her to find her calm. She wiped a tear that threatened to fall out.

"But gosh, you sound like dating me would be terrible." A sarcastic remark from Schneizel.

/

That flipped her mood once again.

"I…I….." Her cheeks reddened profusely as the words became trapped under her tongue.

/

Dimples formed on Schneizel's cheeks as he enjoyed her blushing breakdown.

**End Flashback**

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* * *

Her cheeks were still flushing. _"Damn it, why am I acting this way?" _Was it because of her past feelings for him? _"Fuck, I thought I was over him." _But the prospect of date still excited her….No. She wasn't a kid anymore. She was a soldier.

/

She tried to shake it off but she was still blushing. Was she really looking forward to a date with him? Her body was screaming yes.

She gaped in shock; betrayed by her own body.

/

She gripped her purple hair; ruining it somewhat. _"Am I this horny?" _She remembered how a part of her was excited when he proposed it…_"Ahhhhh!" _She gripped tighter._ "….this is so gross. I'm so disgusting." _But she was slightly happy.

"No!" She yelped; startling Jeremiah in the driver seat.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH….NONONONONO!" Her fist punctured a soda can; spewing its contents out. Her breathing picked up.

"_No!" _She didn't like him. Her body was just excited from the attention he gave her.

If anything, it was Lelouch that she….

"AHHH….FUCK!" She punched another soda can; breathing hard and loud.

/

The terrified Jeremiah kept his eyes on the road. His mind; a mixture of confusion and fear.

/

"Huuuh!" Cornelia finally calmed her nerves. _"But the trial is tonight."_ Her gaze became soft.

"_I should have joined June to visit him." _A tinge of pain pinched her heart.

/

"Lelouch….." She whispered. _"Will you be alright?" _

* * *

**A/N: **I really enjoyed writing this chapter.

Just out of curiosity (and it won't affect this story) but which do you prefer: LelxCorn or SchxCorn….

I prefer the first.


End file.
